The Imbroglio Chronicles
by Miss Trouillefou
Summary: She was not what he expected. No. She was beyond anything that he had ever dreamed. Subtle wisdom in her actions. There was grace. Yet, the same woman had the audacity to call Sera her best friend. Sera. The one who put lizards in his bedroll. He later learned that the Inquisitor helped her catch the lizards. He worried for his sanity.
1. Chapter 1

He was late.

Dorian closed his book when the last bit of sunlight disappeared from the library. No point in lighting a candle, he thought. The tower's other occupants had candles and torches to make up for the lack of natural light. Young mages studied in a circle on the floor, the creature researcher delicately returned some specimens to jars, Leliana's footsteps could be heard above as she went about feeding her birds, and Solas talking with the Inquisitor below. Dorian placed his notes within the book to keep his place before returning it to a shelf. The notes were mostly for himself, but some of the information could be relevant to the Inquisition if his theory proved correct. He would have to continue his research another time though. Sunset signified that his presence was needed elsewhere.

Since the events at Adamant, Skyhold has been eerily quiet. Not in terms of noise, there was plenty of that, but in terms of urgent tasks. Josephine insisted on giving a daily countdown until the ball at the Winter Palace. Thirty-three days, she said, but they would leave in thirty to be sure that everything was arrange properly. Not that anything was ever less than perfect with Josephine. Dorian wondered if he should invite her to the tavern, but shook the thought. Even with the lull in events, Josephine kept herself busy.

Dorian tidied the space around his favorite armchair before he started down the stairs. Iron Bull and Sera were going to pick on him a bit for being late. "Drinks, sunset, be there or I'll shoot an arrow through your window," Sera had said to him after breakfast. He quite liked his window and did not want it to be assaulted by whatever projectile Sera had handy. Besides, a broken window meant a cold room. He could not live with that.

He could begin to make out details of the conversation that had been going on below. He had been reading for hours, and the two elves had been talking about something just as long. Between Leliana's birds and the young mages bickering, he did not catch any of the specifics. He slowed his pace. He listened but did not stop his descent. They would have surely heard him get up.

"Are you sure we're missing something?" Lavellan said. She sounded almost a little frustrated.

"Positive," Solas said, "this appears to be a complete piece in itself, but still just a piece. There are possibly a dozen more."

A small clatter and a mumbled apology, "It's not the shape for something to attach to it though."

"Wider in the middle, if you notice. That means that it could potentially be inserted into another piece and hold firm. Nevertheless— good evening Dorian," he said without even a glance.

Dorian approached the elves, "Evening." Lavellan was seated atop of Solas's desk, her legs crossed and feet bare. She held a blue stone in her lap. "What's that, may I ask?" he pointed to what had apparently been the subject of conversation.

Lavellan handed the stone to him, "it's an artifact we found in the Exalted Plains."

Dorian took it and turned it over in his hands a few times. Faint engravings were present on the oblong stone. "Elven, I'm assuming."

"Incredible observation, Tevinter breeding has finally paid off," Solas commented, earning him a glare from the said Tevinter.

Solas gestured to the stone, asking for it wordlessly. Dorian slapped it into his hand with a little more force than needed. He still did not look at him. Asshole.

"The inscriptions are ancient elvish, appearing to give some instruction," he rotated the stone between his fingers to show off the writing. "The instructions are incomplete however, and knowing the ancient elves they would not have obscure instructions on a polished rock for no reason."

"He thinks that there has to be more pieces to it," Lavellan flipped through some notes beside her. There were drawings of arrows and diagrams among the pile of papers. Lots of books on elven lore as well. "The piece here seems to make sense on its own," she plucked the artifact out of Solas's hand, "which is why I am uncertain if there are more pieces or if we are just missing some context. For instance, it very well might be a dildo. The instructions do say 'insert into body'."

Dorian stifled a laugh. The Inquisitor smiled at him. It was good to see that the Inquisitor still maintained her sense of humor, as dirty as it was, despite hanging around Solas. Come to think of it Dorian had never seen Solas laugh. Or even smile for that matter.

"Are you twelve?" the elf snatched the artifact back swiftly. It was as if contact with the Inquisitor somehow dirtied the object. Though if it was, in fact, some sort of sex toy, it would not be possible to make it any dirtier. It most likely had the remnants of thousand year old bodily fluids.

Lavellan laughed and apologized. "I'm kidding, we've been serious for hours," she put a hand on his shoulder, rocking him a bit.

Solas brushed her hand away. He held the rock closer to the candle and reread the aforementioned instruction. "Elves wouldn't need to put instructions on a dildo," he said under his breath and returned the stone to the Inquisitor.

This time, both Dorian and Lavellan broke into laughter. So Solas did have a bit of a sense of humor. Good to know. That did not change the fact that he was an asshole.

"I see…" Dorian said, still smiling. "Well, if you two are done playing around with… whatever that is… Sera and Bull invited us for drinks. Sera could not find either of you earlier and left it to me to extend the invitation."

She looked to Solas, tilting her head a bit in question. "What do you say, Solas? Should we have some real fun or get some drinks?" she smirked and rolled the stone over in her hands. The engraved scripture was worn on one side, barely legible.

"Perhaps another time, Dorian," Solas said, "we should try to finish this tonight so we may look for the other parts."

Dorian shrugged and turned towards the door, "Well if you two finish early, you know where we'll be. I'm still waiting to see what you're like drunk."

"You will continue waiting," Solas answered.

The Inquisitor laughed quietly and said goodnight to Dorian.

The Tevinter mage waved his hand dismissively. If they wanted to not enjoy themselves at all on a perfectly good evening, then so be it. It was their loss. It had been a while since he had been able to have a chat with Lavellan about something _other_ than the Inquisition, so it was a bit of a disappointment. No personal updates or even small talk between them recently, to be completely honest. She was the most powerful woman in Thedas, and he knew that she could not always spend her free time judging people from the balcony with him over a glass of wine. The Orlesian nobles made for easy targets. He missed those lazy afternoons.

The courtyard had cooled since the sun had set. A tragedy considering how cold it was already. Winter was slowly settling in. The crisp night air had brought with it the smallest hint of snow. Not a flurry, but just the smell. Snow had a particular smell to it. Wet but clean. It brought memories of long winter evenings huddled in a blanket next to a fireplace. Dorian pulled his collar close to his neck and started down the stairs.

There were few soldiers on the grounds that evening. Some stood at their posts, standing watch, while others walked towards their quarters. The military quarters were not as nice as the ones provided for the Inquisition's inner circle, but Dorian was still a bit envious of the men. They would get to spend their evenings drinking and talking with their comrades. There was never a moment where they felt alone. However, Dorian would not give up his own room for anything less than a bigger room. A common room for others would be nice though. The same socialization without the loss of privacy. Can't have everything.

Lights shown through the tavern windows warmly on the damp grass. He could hear a band playing. The music was upbeat and fast, but muffled by the laughter and joyous shouting inside the tavern walls. A busy night, especially a loud busy night, was a good sign. A sign that morale was high and the people's spirits even higher. Dorian pulled the old wooden door open. The door's usual creak was drowned out by the singing and merriment inside. The tavern was as crowded as it was loud. Despite the unusually busy night, Dorian easily spotted Bull. Not much of a feat considering he was the only Qunari in all of Skyhold. He sat with his back turned to the door at the table closest to the bar.

Varric acknowledged him with a nod and gestured to the empty seat next to Bull. Sera smirked a bit and said something to Bull that Dorian could not hear.

"You're late!" Sera shouted.

Dorian weaved between the crowd and took a seat, "Sera, when have I ever been on time?"

Iron Bull clapped Dorian on the shoulder with force that nearly knocked him off of his stool, "How's it going?" Bull greeted with a smile. He hailed the bartender and ordered his friend a pint of ale. "We're all drinking this, you are too," he stated. He took a gulp of his drink.

"Oh, there goes my plans of ordering straight vodka," the bartender slid the drink across the table. Dorian caught it easily. He stared at the foamy brown brew and inhaled. "This smells disgusting," he stated.

Sera slammed her mug on the table, "We're all drinking it. That includes you, ya prissy muppet!" She shook her head as if surprised by her own outburst. "Bull, what drink am I on?"

"Second."

"Lightweight," Varric chuckled.

Sera punched the dwarf's shoulder with mock anger, "I could outdrink you any day."

Varric shrugged, "I'm already on my fourth so you'll have some catching up to do."

"Please don't catch up," Dorian warned. He took a sip of the ale and made a face. It was bitter, but not unbearably so. He would be able to finish it after it disintegrated his taste buds. The aftertaste was actually pleasant, almost like chocolate. He took another sip and made a face again. The aftertaste did not improve the initial consumption.

Sera put her elbows on the table, her chin in her hand, "So, I see you forgot the Inquisitor." The city elf smirked at Dorian. It wasn't like him to forget something, or someone.

Dorian shook his head, "I didn't, actually. I tried to invite her but she was invested in doing something with Solas. They've been working all afternoon."

"She's always invested in doing something with his elfy-ness," Sera rolled her eyes.

Varric laughed, "I think she's more interested in _doing _his elfy-ness."

"I know, gross," Sera finished her drink and shouted a request for another. She hoped the alcohol would burn away the mental image of Karliah wanting anything to do with Baldy. Not that she had any control over the Inquisitor's love life, she was still entitled to her opinions.

A serving girl dropped off a new mug overflowing with foam. Sera thanked the girl and pulled the metal handle in front of her. Pulling her hair back, she slurped up the foam that bubbled over the top. She caught Dorian's disapproving gaze when she lifted her mug. Sera maintained eye contact with him as she started on her third drink. He frowned.

"Glad to know I wasn't the only one who picked up on that," Bull commented. He gathered the empty mugs and set them at the end of the table, "Have you seen how they are in the field? Always touching hands they're walking so close."

"You really think something going on between them?" Dorian swallowed a mouthful of ale and shook his head.

Sera scrunched her face with disgust, "I hope not."

"They could just be really good friends," he reasoned. Dorian spent more time around Solas than anyone else in the inner circle. They both seemed to spend an absurd amount of their free time studying in the rotunda. The Inquisitor occasionally came by to ask the apostate a question or for his input on some matter. It was nothing that seemed too out of the ordinary.

Varric hummed when he thought. "I talk to Freckles about all kinds of shit and she's never brought up Solas. And given some of the private information she has shared with me, I'm sure she'd share if there was something going on."

"What sort of private information?" Dorian asked.

"The private kind. I'm not about to betray her trust over a couple of drinks," Varric said and finished his drink. Unlike Sera and Dorian, he did not make any sort of face. Some of the ale he had at the taverns in Kirkwall were much stronger. "She shares a lot with me though," he added for good measure.

Bull ordered another drink for Varric, "Is that what you guys do after our weekly games of Wicked Grace? Gossip?"

"Like two prepubescent school girls," he confirmed with a grin.

The four of them chatted amongst each other for a while. They had to shout parts of their conversation to hear one another over the noise of the tavern. The Chargers had taken up an entire corner of the main room and occasionally stole Iron Bull away. He was more than happy to oblige. There was a small band playing instead of the usual bard. People danced to upbeat tunes in the center of the room. People laughed when they drunkenly tripped over one another or bumped into strangers. The air was thick with ale and conversation. For the first time in a while, the residents of Skyhold appeared to be happy.

The Inquisition was doing well and seemed to be growing with each passing hour. New recruits showed up at Skyhold every day, eager to support the Inquisition's cause. Many of them were young men and women moved by the actions of Cullen's soldiers, Leliana's spies, Josephine's diplomats, or by the Inquisitor herself. Every day it seemed, Josephine and Leliana cemented alliances with some of the greatest families and groups in Thedas. Without any doubt, the Inquisition had become a force to be reckoned with. Even with the threat of Corypheus, the people felt safe enough to dance and smile while within Skyhold's walls. Skyhold and the Inquisition seemed to be the only solid representations of hope. Like beacons of light in an endlessly dark world. Light seemed to follow in the Inquisition's footsteps- behind its soldiers, behind its allies, and especially behind the Inquisitor.

Varric looked on when Sera dragged Dorian to dance with her. Dorian mouthed the word "help" as Sera pulled on his arm. Varric shook his head and gave the Tevinter man a thumbs up. The Tevinter man gave him the finger in response. They wouldn't be gone too long, but for now Varric was alone at the table. He was content to watch the drunken shenanigans from afar.

Not to his surprise, Dorian seemed to enjoy dancing with Sera. The two had become odd but close friends over the months. At least, Varric assumed they were close judging by the content of overheard conversations. He caught a woman eyeing Sera and he understood why she had dragged Dorian to dance. If she had gone alone, she would have to potentially fend off unwanted attention. That's what friends were for; deterring drunken shenanigans.

"Hope, hurting hearts healing. The fear flees for the moment, hiding. It will come back though," Cole had approached while Varric was distracted.

The dwarf started, "Geeze, what'd I tell you about sneaking up on me like that?"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to."

Varric patted the empty stool next to him. "Sit, Kid. Want a drink?" He offered Cole his mug. "Try mine, see if you like it. I know you don't usually, err, consume anything…"

Cole accepted the metal mug and sat beside Varric. He held the rim to his mouth for a second but did not drink. He just breathed in the ale's bitter aroma and closed his eyes. "I will try it," he said. "It should not hurt me. It will make you happy though."

The dwarf waved his hand dismissively. "Pshh, Kid. You don't have to if you don't want to."

Cole took a sip and paused. He held the liquid in his mouth, analyzing the texture and the taste. It was fizzy. He could hear tiny bubbles pop in his mouth. The taste was bitter but not as unpleasant as he expected. Actually, he quite enjoyed it. He swallowed and took another sip before handing the mug back to Varric. "People do not like this drink?"

"Most people hate it." Varric turned his mug around in his blocky hands, observing that it was warm from where Cole was holding it. "But after a few of them, people get a lot happier."

"I have noticed that. Mind dizzy, dancing, even when the body is not." Cole tapped a serving girls arm as she passed. She paused and looked at him warmly. She had a tray of empty mugs in on hand and the other on her hip. Cole had recently gotten a lecture from Josephine on how to talk to people after accidently offending some of her guests. Apparently he scared people, though he did not know how. Josephine said that smiling more would help. With the lecture in mind, he tried to smile when he spoke, "Excuse me, Ma'am. Could I please get whatever he's drinking?"

She returned the smile sweetly and patted him on the shoulder, "Of course, dear." The serving girl looked to Varric, "May I ask what that is?"

"Whatever is in those kegs are that the Chargers brought in."

"Right away" her hand lightly grazed across Cole's back and shoulder when she passed.

Cole blinked a few times, "She wants me to talk to her."

"Judging by the way she was batting her eyes at you, she wanted you to do more than that," he nudged him playfully.

Cole looked over his shoulder in the direction that the serving girl had disappeared to. He already knew that information. He was not entirely sure what to do with it. "Perhaps I will talk to her, not now though." He pulled at a loose thread on his pants. Cole noticed Varric smirking in his peripheral. Even if Varric's amusement was at his expense, it was better than sadness. That was good. "Karliah was supposed to be here, but she is with Solas—"

"Fucking arse," Sera sat down clumsily across from them. Her face was red and glistened with sweat. She let out a long breath, paying little attention to Dorian when he sat down next to her looking equally beat. "Won't hang out with us."

"How was dancing?" Varric asked.

"Exhausting," Dorian said.

"You had fun, admit it," Sera brushed her hair behind her ear and reached to pick up the mug she had left at the table. She downed the rest of the drink. "Varric, what drink are you on?"

"Fifth."

"Andraste's tits, you win."

"Word of advice, don't challenge a dwarf to drinking contest."

Sera put her head on the table, "Point taken." She heaved a sigh and sat up straight. Her hair fell in her face messily, sticking to the sweat that had not yet dried. "We were talking about bitch tits and whats-his-elf," she started. Resting her elbow on the table, she pointed to Cole, "It knows something we don't know, don't'cha SpookyPants?"

The serving girl stopped by and handed Cole his drink. He gave a polite "thank you" and wished her a good evening before the girl went off to serve another guest. "Yes," Cole answered Sera's question shortly. "But I should not share."

"You hafta," Sera pleaded reaching across the table as if she could grab the information from him, "She hasn't played a prank with me in weeks, do you know how many earwigs I have collected? They still aren't in Leliana's underwear drawer."

"Now that you mention it, she hasn't had wine with me in a while," Dorian added. He picked up a napkin from the table and dabbed at the sweat on his face. He went on a bit about how she always made sure to crack open a bottle with him after long missions. How she would spend hours asking him questions about himself and quietly poke fun at Orlesian nobles together. How she had failed to do those things in the past weeks.

Varric let out a long breath, "Are we really talking about this again? I thought we covered this."

"Yes, we are," Sera said, "I don't like feeding the earwigs. They're disgustin'. Karliah needs to get back to doing people stuff before everyone down here thinks she's way up there."

"And 'people stuff' includes putting earwigs in Leliana's underwear drawer?" Dorian retrieved his mug and finished the rest of it.

Sera giggled to herself but did not answer Dorian's question.

Cole smelled his drink again. It was the same one as Varric's. He took a couple of sips while he listened to Dorian explain why putting bugs in Leliana's underwear could potentially end badly. Cassandra was the safer bet for that prank. Sera agreed to change targets.

"She does not mean to be away," the blonde man commented.

Varric leaned towards the boy so he would not have to shout, "why don't you appease them and explain what's going on with the Inquisitor," he suggested. He was partially curious himself. If there was something bigger going on then he wanted to know.

"Solas is my friend," Cole said as if that answered everything.

Sera groaned and put her head on the table.

The spirit frowned and looked into his drink, "I can help. Knowing will help. She does not understand, she thinks it has to do with here but it does not."

"Nouns, Kid. Who are we talking about?"

"Karliah. She wants to help, she wants to fix it. She does not know how— I don't know how. He is wanting, wishing, hurting, her hair tickles his neck when she rests her head on his shoulder. He pushes her away, sad, scared, everything is colder—"

"Is she helping him grow hair?" Sera asked.

"No. Not that," he replied shortly. "Hands cold, lips warm. Her hands warm gradually from the heat of his face. Regret, no. Not regret. He knows it's wrong. Not enough though. She pulls away from him with an apology at her lips. No, don't apologize. Hands on her hips, her body presses against his. Lips touch, tongues—"

Varric nudged him in the ribs, "I think that's enough Kid, they got the answer they were looking for. No need to get into details."

Cole took off his hat and ruffled his hair, frustrated with his inability to help with the matter. "They want to, but he can't. He won't. She deserves better. She cares for him, deeply, intense pain when he is hurt in the field, fluttering joy when he smiles. He wants her badly, and she knows. She does not understand. What did she do?"

Folding his hands in front of him, Dorian sighed. "Well, I mean she _can _do better. However, I don't see why Solas would turn her down. It's not like he has the pick of the litter or anything. I'm pretty sure half of Thedas would jump at a date with the Inquisitor."

"Hell, I would if she was interested," Sera slid her empty mug to the end of the table. "What's his hold up?"

"He is scared. He does not want her to know the real him."

"So he's being melodramatic," Sera smiled slightly, one could almost see that she had an idea forming, "How fricken elfy."

Conversation ceased for a moment. Sera put her head on the table again. Dorian turned to observe the people who were still dancing. He noticed Bull was among the crowd, dancing with a maid he recognized from the main hall. A pretty girl, heavy, with rosy cheeks and a round face. Weird, he did not picture Bull to be the dancing sort but he seemed to enjoy it well enough with a partner.

Varric told Cole that he should chug the rest of his drink to "get on his level". Cole did not understand and stated that they were both on the first floor of the building. He continued to sip at the ale as if it was a fine wine.

"All of you are thinking about the same thing," the blonde man said. He laughed a little, in his awkward way.

"Getting them some elven arse?" Sera did not lift her head when she spoke. She muttered something about having a hangover in the morning and nuzzled her head into her folded arms.

Dorian frowned a bit, "Not in those exact words, but it's the least we can do for all Karliah does for us."

Varric put his hands up in protest, "Whoa there, are either of you guys thinking about what Solas wants? He's a good guy and if he has reasons for not pursuing it then we should respect that."

Cole laughed again, sounding almost villainous this time. It was funny, but he was still no good at the whole expressing emotions thing. "He does not want to respect his own reasons."

The dwarf blinked and then shrugged, "Well. If that's the case…" he trailed off. He looked out the window towards the tower with a small smile. "Maybe they need a little help."

Sera sat up straight and cracked her knuckles, "Let operation Elven Fuckery commence."

"Can we please not call it that," Dorian pleaded, but still amused by the name.

"I like it. 'E.F.' for short. It's the 'E.F.-ing' mission," Varric grinned at Sera.

Sera reached across the table to give Varric a high five. In the same movement she stole Cole's mug of ale and drank, "to the Effing mission!"

Cole looked at his empty hands, disappointed.

Another hour passed before Dorian had decided to call it a night. Sera was looking a little paler than usual. As fond as he was of Sera, he did not want to be around when she upchucked the contents of her stomach. He made Bull promise to look out for her. To Bull that meant throwing her over his shoulder and taking her up to her room. The captain of the Chargers shouted at Krem to get her a pitcher of water.

He wished his friends a good night before stepping back into the courtyard. It was empty now, save for a few guards at their posts. One guard had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders to shield himself from the icy air. Dorian quickly made his way back to the main hall, eager to avoid the chill.

Inside was not much warmer but the lack of wind made it considerably more comfortable. He passed entrance to the bottom floor of the rotunda and opted to go up the stairs that led directly to the second floor. Knowing that he was probably going to have a bit of a hangover in the morning, he wanted to retrieve his books and his notes. He would need something to do in the morning when he was not presentable to the world.

Despite the dim lighting, he was able to find a candle on the desk by the entrance. All the other lights were out, including the torches in Solas's study. He picked up the candle on the desk and lit the wick with a spell. Fire made with magic burned a little brighter than normal flames. The candlelight shown softly on the nearby tables and railings. He found his way around the room and to the bookshelf. The book was exactly where he left it. After pulling it from the shelf he checked for his notes hidden within the pages. Good, those were still there as well. Not that he thought that anyone would take them, but stranger things had happened.

He remembered the elven artifact that Solas and Karliah were studying. Perhaps he could learn something about it. The book he was reading contained a lot of information on ancient magic and weapons. It surely contained information on elven artifacts as well. They had magic and weapons, right? He placed his book on a nearby table and went to the railing. He held the candle over to see if the artifact had been left out. Indeed it had, the blueish stone shone purple in the candle light.

However, the stone was much less interesting than the two figures beside it. In the faint candle light he could see Solas asleep in his chair. On the floor, the Inquisitor, sleeping with her arms draped across his legs and her head on his knee. Solas had his hand on her back, Dorian noted. It seemed that Cole and the others were not wrong about something going on between them. After all, when friends got tired they both went to bed. They did not typically fall asleep on top of each other, not in that position at least. At a guess, it looked as though Karliah had started to doze off against his knee and he did not have the heart to move her. Dorian smiled at the thought, it was cute.

With the candle in hand he returned to the bookshelf. He skimmed through the book spines, looking for the thickest one. He pulled it from the shelf and flipped through the pages, ensuring that there were no stray notes left within them. There weren't. He took a deep breath and—

_THUMP_

Dorian dropped the book on the floor. He heard the two elves stir and he knew that he had woken them. Excellent.

"Shit," he cursed, just to make it sound like an accident. It wasn't. He picked up the book and put it back on the shelf. With his book and candle he went to the door, closing it behind him. However, he did not return to his room, he quietly opened the door just a crack to hear what was being said below.

"You didn't wake me?" he heard the groggy Inquisitor question.

"You were dreaming. I did not wish to disturb you," Solas replied.

A deep sigh, "We should probably go to bed."

"Yes. I will pick up here and see you in the morning. _Dareth shiral_, _emma lath._"

Dorian cursed himself for not learning to speak elvish, but continued to listen.

A scoff from the Inquisitor, "why do you tease me?"

"I'm not."

"Really?"

Some footsteps and then brief silence.

"No," Solas said sternly.

An annoyed sigh that time, "You're no fun," Karliah said.

"Never claimed to be— did you just stick your tongue out at me?"

Her footsteps faded, "I know you like it."

Solas ignored the comment, "Goodnight, Inquisitor."

Dorian could hear the door close when the Inquisitor left. He wanted to be sure that both of them were gone. After he heard Solas leave he descended the stairs, the book under his arm and the now unlit candle in hand. Tomorrow he would have to share with Sera what he had heard. It definitely seemed like there was something going on. It also seemed like there was something bothering Solas, which matched with what Cole had said.

With a bit of a smile, Dorian reentered the main hall. He was eager to get to his private quarters and to sleep off his drunkenness. He debated whether to stop for water. Getting water meant that he would have to go outside again. That meant it would be cold. The warmth of his bed called to him. He decided against the water, a decision he would surely regret in the morning.

"You're not sneaky, you know," Solas said from behind him.

Dorian jumped, nearly dropping his book. "Never claimed to be," he mimicked. If he had been caught, might as well acknowledge it. "I _do_ claim to be heavily intoxicated, my apologies."

Solas approached him, appearing only mildly annoyed. "May I suggest taking some tips from Sera or Cole then? Spying on elves tends to take a higher degree of skill than those possessed by a toddler," he tapped his ear, "Excellent hearing. Goodnight, Dorian." With that, the elf adjusted his bag and went up the stairs as his quarters were on the second floor.

Despite the cute display moments earlier, Solas was still an asshole.


	2. Chapter 2

Sera awoke with a sour stomach and what felt like gnomes banging around in her head. The sun was her enemy. She closed the curtains by her bed and stuffed her head under her pillow. Never again, she told herself. She told herself that every time she had a hangover. Usually it never truly went away until she got smashed again. Or drank a lot of water. A faint memory of Bull shouting at Krem for water the previous night entered her mind. She lifted the pillow and noticed a large pitcher of water. A piece of paper leaned against it.

The elf picked up the paper and squinted at the writing. "You ran out. Brought you more. Karliah wants to leave at noon. –Cole", the note read. She crumpled it and tossed it across the room. Part of her did not want to accept the water, knowing that it was from Cole. Also knowing that it was from Cole she knew that it was safe to drink. She picked up the handle and took several large gulps. Again she tucked her head under the pillow and closed her eyes. Sleep wasn't allowed, as she could hear activity in the courtyard and knew she would have to get ready soon. Why couldn't the Inquisitor take Varric or Cole? If she needed someone to pick locks, why'd it have to be the person with the hangover? It had to be a punishment.

A knock at the door. She groaned, "What's'it?" She threw her pillow on the floor. Sleep definitely wasn't happening. Even the glimmer of sunlight that crept under her curtains stung her eyes.

The door opened, letting in even more of the atrocious light. "Karliah told me to wake you," Cole said. He noted that the pitcher had moved from where he left it and that it was half empty. He smiled slightly "I made you breakfast. It should help your head— I did not poison it."

Sera glanced at the bowl in his hand, "What is it? It better not be Fadey shit."

"I can't put that in a bowl," Cole answered. "What is in the bowl is oatmeal, banana, almonds— I also have ginger tea," he stepped to the side and retrieved a mug from a table outside of her room.

The elf squinted at him, "Where the hell did you get bananas?" She had only seen bananas at fancy Orlesian parties from afar. She had never tasted one. Bananas were "rich people" food. It was difficult to keep them ripe long enough to get to a commoners market.

"Kitchen?" Cole said. "They will help."

Sera reached out to take the bowl. Cole placed it in her hand along with a spoon. He was a compassion spirit. Or he used to be. Something like that. Just because she thought that he was a bit odd did not mean he was going to hurt her. At least, he couldn't hurt her any more than the hangover. "This doesn't make you any less weird, Creepy."

The corners of Cole's lips turned slightly with a smile, "You are not as scared as before. I am glad."

"Stop that. That mind listen-y shit. It's weird, yeah," she sat up to eat her meal. It was warm and tasted poison free. It had been a long time since she had a hot breakfast. She made sure to get a banana slice and almond in the second mouthful. "Thanks, Creepy," she said through her food.

"I will leave the tea here," he placed the tea on the floor beside her bed. "The ginger will help with almost all the aches and ailments from alcohol. Drink it even if you don't like it. You will feel better."

She picked up the steaming mug and took a sip experimentally, "Not that gross," she commented. It was spicy and strong. A little too strong. The scent of ginger lingered in her nose long after she put the cup down. The warm liquid felt pleasant on her throat and stomach. "Who's heading out today? Do you know?"

"You, Solas, and The Iron Bull. To the Exalted Plains."

"Ugh."

"Head hurting, every sound should be silence. Voices violent to your ears, mine velvet. You've never talked to me this long before, I like it," Cole noted. "May we continue talking?"

Sera groaned again. His voice was definitely not velvet. It was just less grating noise than the soldiers outside. She ate another mouthful of food and stared at the wall in front of her while she chewed. "Fine, only 'cause I won't fall back asleep with you around."

"Thank you," he sat cross legged on the floor. "I have been wanting to talk to you for a while. But you're fickle, fleeting, flippant. Do you mind if I ask you questions?"

"Now?" she swallowed another sip of tea. Already she could feel her head and stomach improving. After a morning bath she'd be almost back to normal. She sighed, "Go ahead, just one though. I'm kicking you out as soon as I finish this."

Cole picked at a hangnail idly, "I want to have fun. I like fun. Laughing, loving life. I am not good at making it. You seem to make it on your own. It runs to you, rushing through your veins. Tickling, tingly, yet tender. How do you do that?"

She scooped the last bits of oatmeal out of the bowl, "I'll show you when I get back, Creepy. Not a simple answer to that one. Pranks are fun, but you have to do them right. Make sure you don't hurt anyone but still get a chuckle."

"I should try playing pranks?"

"You already sort of do," she said, remembering the barrel full of daggers and the radishes in the fireplace. "Just have a target. It's fun, yeah? Be sure that their response to it will be, 'That scamp!' instead of 'I'm going to cut a bitch'. Don't want to make people to angry. Just annoyed. Or bothered. It depends on the person. Are you going back to the kitchen?"

"Yes, why?"

Sera returned the empty bowl and mug to him. Cole nodded. That was his cue to leave. He considered himself fortunate for being allowed a conversation with Sera at all. He got to his feet and thanked the elven woman for her advice. He pulled the door shut behind him with a soft click. He stood by for a moment to be sure he heard her get up. Footsteps on the hardwood floor and the rustle of clothing. He did his job. Sera was not going back to sleep.

XXX

The rotunda was oddly quiet that morning. Only a few people occupied the round building. Those few people did not include the one that she was looking for. Weird. Usually Solas was awake and working by sunrise. It was almost noon and no sign of him. This had happened before. Solas enjoyed sleeping in. More time in the Fade.

Karliah stepped up the stairs quickly, careful not to drop the box she had tucked under her arm. Chances were good that he was still in his quarters. Even though he hated being woken up, she had little choice. After all, he was the one who insisted on finished observations on the stone that night so they could look for more in the morning. So it was his fault. He knew what to look for in regards to elven artifacts. She did not. The trip would be fruitless without him.

She approached his quarters and knocked on the decrepit wooden door. The doors were on her list of Skyhold furnishings to fix. Perhaps she would ask Vivienne if she knew any interior designers. One thing that Karliah and Vivienne agreed upon was that Skyhold needed an upgrade. Preferably one that impressed the nobles that came to visit. At least there weren't raccoon nests in the guest quarters. And it didn't smell like cat urine anymore.

She knocked again, "Solas?"

"Just a moment," she heard movement on the other side. "Come in."

The elven woman pushed open the door with her free hand. As she had suspected, Solas was still in bed. He sat with his legs outstretched, leaned against the pillow propped against the wall behind him. He wore a loose white shirt and gray pajama pants. "I would have taken you for someone who slept nude," she teased.

"How do you know that I didn't?" he countered without missing a beat.

She chuckled and shut the door behind her. Very little sunlight made it into Solas's room. That would explain how he was able to remain asleep for so long. She was a bit envious. Her room had too much light for her liking. It seemed the Inquisitor was never allowed to sleep in. "Is that why you didn't answer when I knocked the first time?"

Solas lit a candle by his bedside. He gestured to the foot of his bed for her to sit. "I thought it might have been Dorian," he explained. "Also, I had to put on a shirt."

Karliah stopped in her tracks. Her brow furrowed, "Wait, you really sleep nude?"

"I had pants on."

"Oh, in that case," she accepted his invitation to join him. The long box she was carrying was set on the floor at the end of his bed. She was careful to not to sit on his legs hidden beneath a blanket. The blanket was thick, made of wool that had been dyed green. No wonder he could sleep with his shirt off. The blanket was warm even to the touch. "Why did you think it was Dorian?" she asked. She crossed her legs and turned her body to face him.

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. There was no point in hiding his encounter from the Inquisitor. He had said too much already. Even if he had made something up, she was sure to bring it up with Dorian. "He was eavesdropping on us last night, I caught him on my way to bed."

"Oh," Karliah thought a moment, "So he woke us up on purpose."

"Most likely."

"I wonder why," she mused.

A deep sigh, "Validating rumors, I would assume." He smoothed the blanket across his lap. He folded his hands, "he was a bit drunk." Karliah did not need to know that part, but it seemed relevant. Dorian would not have been caught if he was sober.

"Rumors?" Karliah ran her fingers through her short hair with a frown. She let out a long breath and looked to the ceiling as if that would give her a decent response. It didn't. "I'm sorry, Solas. I did not mean—"

Solas shook his head. He touched her knee with his calloused hands, "Not your fault. A man and a woman spend too much time together, people start talking. It's the nature of organized society."

She brushed his hand away. She sighed again and looked at the floor. Words on her lips that she was reluctant to say. Her chest felt tight, knots in her stomach. She swallowed, trying to drown out the emotions that bubbled within. She took another breath and picked up the box from the floor. "Harritt fixed it for you," she changed the subject.

Solas took the large box from her hands only to return it to the floor. "Are you well?"

"I'll be fine," she answered.

Knowing eyes watched her face. She appeared downcast, melancholy. She did not look at him. "I am sorry that I cannot give you a more definite answer," he said. He took her tan hand in his. Her skin was darker than his, touched by years in the sun. His thumb rubbed her palm in a circular motion. "I do care for you. I think about you more often than I would like to admit."

"I understand, it's just…" she trailed off. Her cheeks red under her freckles.

"It's just…" Solas urged. He held both of her hands.

Karliah squeezed his hand, her sage green eyes finally meeting his. "It's just that I care about you too, a lot. I want to know where we stand. I want to know if I can kiss you goodnight and have that be okay," she said. She wanted to know more than that. Better to start with simple examples.

"I would have let you last night had Dorian not been there," he moved to lace his fingers with hers. "It should not be public if we are unsure," he cleared his throat, "If I am unsure."

"I won't wait forever, you know," Karliah said. Two months had passed since their first kiss in the Fade. Only one other passionate kiss. No more. He was affectionate still, but distant.

"I know, _vhenan_. Give me some time to think," he moved himself to the edge of his bed, against the wall. He held an arm out, welcoming.

She crawled across the bed curled up next to him. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He smelled of pine and sandalwood. Some sort of soap he used. Contrary to popular belief, Solas did bathe. More often than most of the men she knew. Even if he dressed like a 'hobo' according to Dorian and Vivienne, he did not smell like one. She closed her eyes, content to breathe in his scent. His hands massaged her shoulders. Warm lips touched the top of her head. She nuzzled against his chest and took a deep breath, desperately wanting to fall asleep to his touch once again.

Slipping her hand under his shirt, she traced his collar bone. "I got you a present. Sort of. It's in the box too."

"Oh, it's not just my staff?" He settled back against the wall. "It can wait," he kissed the top of her head again. His cold nose buried in her hair for a moment. His breath was even and calm.

She smiled, wrapping one leg over his. "This is okay?"

"For now, yes. I just don't want you to get hurt. Please understand," he said.

She lifted her head to better look at his face. Cold air tickled her cheek where it had rested on his chest. "I'm an adult, Solas," she said plainly, "you have your reasons for hesitating, and I have mine. Judging by how fast your heart was beating just now," she paused and settled against his warm shirt. His heart continued to beat loud and fast. She closed her eyes and decided to not finish her previous thought.

His hand settled on her hip, "you have reason to hesitate? You haven't mentioned this."

A small shrug, "I can hardly afford to lose you, professionally or emotionally. Mostly professionally. It would take forever to find a replacement with your knowledge. Or with your hair."

He chuckled, appreciating both her humor and her honesty. Wrapping both arms around her, he held her close, "I assure you, there is not much that would drive me away from the Inquisition."

She hugged him tight, not sure when she would get the opportunity to again. "You should get ready. I already sent Cole to wake up Sera."

"Cole waking Sera? If that's the case we can nap for another hour or so," he closed his eyes again despite the facetious response.

The offer was tempting, but it would only be minutes before someone came looking for them. Getting caught napping again did not seem like the best idea. Especially in his room and on his bed. No need for any more rumors. "I know you want to spend more time in the Fade, but we do need to get going," she said reasonably.

"Do we?" he responded playfully.

A gentle laugh, "yes, Solas."

"Really?"

"I can make you get up."

"You can?" he said incredulously.

"Are you doubting me?"

"Maybe a little," he chuckled.

Silence for a moment. Karliah breathed deeply and snuggled against his chest. Pine and sandalwood. The sandalwood scent emanated strongly from his shabby shirt. Perhaps he kept sandalwood with his clothing. Arms around his waist, she slipped one hand under his shirt and rubbed his back. "Solas," she said softly.

"Yes, _vhenan_?"

"I'm sorry."

"For wh—"

In less than a second, the two elves were on the floor with a _thud_. Blankets tangled around the pair, arms still locked around one another. Solas cursed. Karliah laughed. Unable to stifle her giggling she pushed herself up, hovering over the older elf. He blinked as though he was still trying to process what had happened. Thankfully, he did not seem hurt. Given what he had been through on the battlefield, being pulled out of bed and onto the floor was hardly an ordeal. "You're up," Karliah stated as she looked into pale blue eyes.

He heaved a sigh, "So I am."

A kiss was pressed to his forehead before she got to her feet. "I expect you in the courtyard within the hour," she said.

Without so much as another glance, she stepped out of the room. Light crept across the wooden floor briefly when she opened the door. She closed it behind her with a quiet click. Her footsteps faded.

Solas propped himself on his elbows, staring at the door. Even with all of the knowledge gained from his journeys into the Fade, not one of his experiences could provide him insight on the Inquisitor. He was not sure if he wanted to understand her. There was something almost thrilling about being caught completely off guard, at least in a nonthreatening way. There were very few individuals that Solas could not predict. He could confidently add Karliah to that list.

The box at the end of the bed was opened slightly. Thankfully they did not land on it. It would be difficult to explain to Harritt how his staff had broken. Again. Not to mention landing on a box would be more uncomfortable than landing on the floor. Solas pulled the box towards him and took of the lid. It seemed that Harritt had replaced the broken grip entirely. Not that he was surprised. When a battle axe strikes a staff, the axe typically wins. Grips were more easily replaced than repaired.

With staff in hand, he turned it experimentally. It was weighted the same at the very least. The grip was more comfortable than he remember. That was good considering how wielding it tended to butcher his hands after a while. He set it aside, remembering that Karliah had a gift for him in the box as well. Odd, he did not think they were at a point in their, whatever it was, to be giving gifts. He noticed there was a much smaller box tucked in the corner.

The box was only slightly larger than the palm of his hand. At least it was something small. He placed the small box on the floor. He lifted the lid and emptied the contents into his free hand, watching as a scrap of paper fell to the floor. Two black pieces of cloth with dragon scales covering half of each. He unfolded one of them, noting that the cloth was thick but soft. Gloves. It was not a completely inappropriate gift then.

He picked up the scrap of paper next to him. It was a note from Karliah: "Noticed that you massage your hands a lot. And that you get blisters after long trips. The gloves should help. Had Harritt make them for you. P.S. I told you that I had excellent reason for taking the dragon's toe." He smiled at the scrap of paper. Thoughtful. He liked that about her. Though at the time he found it odd that she insisted on taking the dragon's toe of all things. That was almost a month ago. He tried on the gloves. They were comfortable and did not cover his fingers past the first knuckle, which was good for handling anything with finesse. He flexed his fingers and made a fist. Flexible as well. The gloves would get a test run on the upcoming mission.

Solas still had to get ready.

XXX

Armor equipped and staff in hand, Karliah walked past the throne and down the hall. A few members of Skyhold's staff greeted her as she went by. She gave them a practiced smile. She could not acknowledge more than a few people at a time. It got overwhelming. She used to just ignore them but Josephine insisted that she worked on her manners. At least Karliah made an effort to improve.

One person forced her to acknowledge him. Varric got out of his chair and met the Inquisitor before she made it to the doorway. "Mornin', Freckles," he greeted with a grin.

The elf slowed her pace, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why do you look so happy?" She had a feeling some sort of misfortune was about to befall her. Too bad, she had a pretty decent morning. Solas had let her cuddle him. That had to be a good sign. Right?

"Just had a great chat with Dorian," the dwarf leaned against the doorway. "Anything you want to share with me?"

Karliah stared at the door. She was half tempted to ignore him and continue walking. That would probably be worse than answering. Varric's imagination was not one to be encouraged. Playing dumb did not work with him either. "In regards to what?" she replied carefully.

He turned, gesturing for her to follow. The two sat at a table next to the fireplace, only slightly out of the way. There weren't many people in the hall that morning. It was relatively safe to have a private conversation. Varric would choose his words carefully, she knew that much.

"So, Dorian tells me that you passed out on Chuckles last night. On his lap. And that you two seemed pretty cozy."

"Oh. Did he say that?" Karliah evaded.

"He said you were practically wrapped around his legs," Varric smiled. He leaned forward, locking eyes with the Inquisitor. "What I want to know is, what were you and Chuckles doing before Dorian came in?"

Karliah scooted back and crossed her legs. Varric knew how to pressure someone in the most casual way. She thought fast, "What were you and Bianca doing before you joined the Inquisition?" she countered.

The dwarf blinked, "Touché, Freckles." He settled into his chair again. There was a smile on his lips as though he approved of her answer.

"Tell me and I'll tell you."

"Not a chance." With that, Varric let the topic drop.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **There's an erection ahead. I may have had too much fun writing this chapter.

The Inquisition camp was considerably well stocked. A fresh supply shipment according a soldier. Got them weekly. As the Inquisition's force grew, more supplied were needed more frequently. The camp almost appeared to be a small village composed of tents.

Soldiers had kindly provided the Inquisitor and her companions with a meaty stew upon their arrival. Meat, rice, and vegetables were much appreciated after two days on the road. The only food that was easy to transport without needing any cooking was fruit and bread. Neither of which were very filling. With the permission of the soldiers, Bull had taken the rest of the stew to their table. Dinner had ended long ago and the stew was cold. However, no one seemed to mind the cold supper. A meal was a meal.

Despite being well stocked, the camp could only spare a single tent to the group. It was a large tent, enough room to fit the four of them comfortably. The only one who was unhappy with the arrangement was Sera. She did not want to spend any more time with Solas than she had to and insisted that Bull had terrible gas. Her complaints were ultimately ignored.

The sun had set hours ago. The search for more artifacts would have to continue in the morning. That was more than agreeable. Traveling on horseback was just as exhausting for the rider as it was for the horse. A young elf was charged with caring for the Inquisition's horses. He tended to the horses quickly and efficiently, being sure to give each one a treat. Each mount was bathed and cleaned with no fuss. It seemed they were more than happy to be pampered.

Oddly, Karliah was a bit jealous of the animals. A bath sounded amazing. Two days in the sun and on the back of a sweaty animal tended to make on feel a bit dirty. She got the attention of a soldier who was busy clearing dishes from the table. "Where would one bathe around here?" she asked.

Sera set her bowl on the table with more force than necessary, "Tell me that there is a place to bathe. I do not want to sleep in the same tent as a smelly Qunari."

"At least we don't smell like ham when we sweat," Bull grumbled. He set aside what had to be his third bowl of stew.

"No, you smell like dog shit," Sera replied.

"That's still better than you armpits."

The soldier cleared his throat, "Most of the soldiers bathe in the river at the bottom of this hill. There's also a hot spring in that forest. There's markers leading to it on the trees."

Karliah thanked the soldier. The soldier cleared their plates and went on his way. The group picked up their bags and weapons and moved them to the tent. The tent was large enough for even Bull to stand comfortably. Leliana must have informed the soldiers of the Qunari's arrival. Even after unrolling their sleeping bags, there was enough room to walk between them without stepping on any toes.

Sera set her bow by her bed and removed her boots. "So one of you, and I say one of you I mean Karliah or Iron Bull, is going to come with me to that river. I don't want to be alone if something nips my arse," she removed her socks and belt. There was no point in bringing those with her to bathe.

"Is she still trying to offend me?" Solas asked no one in particular.

"No," Sera pulled her towel out of her bag, "If you want to look at a lady elf, you'll have to settle for Karliah. Not me. Who wants to de-stink with me?"

Bull unpacked his towel as well. "I'll go," he said and took off his harness and his belt and set the items by his bed. He reached over to pick up Sera's boots and put them outside of the tent along with his own. Sera claimed that her feet did not smell. Sera was wrong.

"I'll watch everyone's stuff until you get back," Karliah offered. Just because they were in an Inquisition camp did not mean they were safe from thieves. Stolen weapons were not desirable. Not that many people could make off with Bull's axe and get very far. Karliah could barely lift it herself.

Solas unrolled a small map of the surrounding area. "Let me mark some spots on the map for tomorrow. I will catch up with you," Solas said. He pulled out a stick of charcoal and a candle.

"No. What did I just say, Solas?" Sera said.

"Really, Sera?" Bull said from the entryway.

"Really. I don't want his elfy-ness around while I get clean."

The response only made the Qunari more confused. Sera was comfortable bathing around anyone. Hell, Solas had accompanied her in the past. "Why?" he asked simply.

The city elf rolled her eyes, "The effing mission!"

Bull's jaw dropped slightly. Was that actually a thing? He shook his head in slight disbelief, "Maker's balls," he muttered and exited the tent. He thought it had been a drunken joke. Everyone else seemed to think it was a drunken joke. Unless he was far out of the loop of the inner circle. He would have to ask Dorian when he returned.

"Solas, _you _can go to the hot springs thing," Sera giggled before running after Bull.

The two elves in the tent waited for their comrade's footsteps to fade. Karliah lit the candle Solas had placed by the map. "What the hell is 'the effing mission'?" Karliah asked.

"It's Sera, I would not pay much mind to it," Solas replied. He studied the map quietly and marked two locations. One to the east and the other southeast. "There are two ruins here. One is close to where we found the first artifact. The other is related place of worship for the ancient elves. I would assume that if the stone is anything of value that the parts will be separated."

The two discussed what they may encounter at both of those locations. Demons were likely. Demons were always likely. Also undead. Solas had the suspicion that one of the ruins may be mostly intact, which meant booby-traps.

Demons, undead, and booby-traps. He insisted that it would be interesting at the very least.

She insisted that he was crazy.

XXX

Sera was not uncomfortable with nudity. Not since joining the Inquisition at the very least. Soldiers tended to bath together, it was safer that way. Sure, she felt awkward the first time she stripped in front of Cassandra and Blackwall. Neither of them made it more uncomfortable than it had to be. They had chatted with their backs turned to each other while they went about their business. She still tended to bath with her back turned to her companions, but occasionally she would talk to them like a normal person. With clothes on. The water was at least waist deep for Bull so she did not have to risk a glimpse at anything she didn't want to.

Bull ducked his head under the water to wash the soap from his face. He resurfaced and blinked a few times to get the water off of his lashes and away from his eye. He removed his eye patch when he bathed. Had to clean the wound sometime. When it was fresh he was more careful about the cleanliness of the water. After it had healed it did not seem to matter. Still unsightly though.

After washing, Sera waded deep into the water until she could swim comfortable. The river was calm in the bathing area. There was no risk of getting swept away by the current. "You and Dorian. How's that?" she asked.

Bull rubbed a bar of soap on his shoulders. "Fine," he answered shortly. "We enjoy our time together."

Sera giggled, "Oh I bet you do." She swam against the current towards Bull. Even if it was gentle it still pulled her if she tried to stay in one spot. Swimming felt good though. She wasn't about to get back onto solid ground yet.

Bull glanced at Sera swimming a couple of feet away. "So Sera, what you said back there about the 'effing mission'," he made air quotes with his free hand, "I thought that it was a joke."

"It is, yeah? Kind of. It's more like a game," Sera explained.

"A game?"

"Yeah. We win when we get them laid. Maker knows Solas needs to. So fucking uptight, that one," she ducked under water. She resurfaced closer to the river bank where her feet could touch the rocks below. "They both want to, they're just being stupid."

Bull made his way to the shore. He picked up his towel and wrapped it around his hips. "I'm sure it's more complicated than that."

"No. It isn't," Sera returned to shore as well. She dried her hair with her towel. Blonde hair became more fluffy and untamed than usual. She wrapped her towel around her breasts. "Besides, Inquisi-butt has it bad for him. Can't you tell?"

"I think half of Thedas can tell."

"Yeah. It's nasty, right? They'll stop being gross when they just get on with it. I hope."

Bull agreed with that statement on two fronts. Sera did have a point. After the initial crushing and flirting stages of a relationship it tended to quiet down. It was like that with Bull and Dorian. Bickering and awkward flirting for weeks until they went for it. Then the relationship calmed down. It seemed that most people did not even realize that the two were a thing.

Also, they were pretty gross.

XXX

The soldiers had definitely used the hot spring before. There were well placed rocks to serve as seats beneath the water. The edges of the pool had been rebuilt so there was no wading area. It was pleasant, just to sit in the warm water after a long journey. There was not another soul in sight. A lone owl hooted nearby. Solas could not locate the bird. It was only slightly disappointing. He was a fan of owls. They were intelligent, beautiful, and vastly misunderstood creatures.

Solas splashed the warm water over his face and head again. He had already bathed. The water was scented with his soap. He would have to make more soap soon. He was running low. Not only that, he had the not-actually-a-hobo reputation to upkeep. He watched the water swirl around before it drained out in a small stream. The hot spring was most likely man made, a detour of the nearby river, given its small size and its symmetry.

Footsteps approached. Solas turned towards the direction of the sound, watching. He had a good guess of who it was, but he could never be entirely sure. Judging by the weight of the footsteps, it had to be Karliah.

Karliah had told him that she would meet him at the hot springs as soon as Sera and Bull returned. He was not sure if she was serious about that offer. Apparently she was. And apparently, she saw it appropriate to bring only her pajamas, towel, and soap. Good to know that she felt safe enough to walk around without her staff.

"Evening, Solas," she greeted and began to lift her pajama top.

Solas looked away quickly for modesties sake. "I was wondering when you would come by," he said. He decided to try to look for the owl again. Anything but the Inquisitor. He could hear her disrobe, the sound of soft cotton on the grass.

"Mind if I join you?" she said though she already knew the answer.

"Not at all," Solas replied. He looked away as she stepped into the spring beside him. Of course she had to sit next to him. With the entirety of the spring, she had to sit next to him.

The elven woman ducked under the water for a moment to wet her hair. "This has to be way better than the river," she commented when she resurfaced. She splashed her face a few times to remove the remnants of her makeup. Solas watched as she cleaned her face.

She reached behind her and pulled a bar of soap from the pocket of her coat. Purple. Lavender scented, most likely. She washed her face and then her arms. Definitely lavender, he could smell it as soon as the soap got damp. "Did you wait long for me?" she asked, smiling a bit.

He looked away when she washed her breasts and torso. There was no reply to her question. "Bull and Sera made it back in one piece, I take it," he was not sure what to talk about. It was a bit intimidating to be nude with her. Alone. The things he could do. He shook the thought. No. He could not give into temptation.

"Apparently there was a territorial halla," Karliah replied. "Bull scared him off. I think Bull probably had the bigger horns of the two."

"I don't know if Sera could handle a halla without her bow."

"Probably not," she laughed.

She lifted her legs from the water on at a time, running the bar of soap down from her thigh to her ankle. She had shaved, he noted. When did he start watching her again? He had to look away. Where the hell was that owl? That owl was much more enticing than the bathing Inquisitor. He would not give in to her obvious attempts at seduction. Only in the privacy of his own mind would he admit that it was working.

The Inquisitor settled back into the water, having finished cleaning most of her body. Her wet red hair laid flat against her head. Stop looking at her. He noticed a figure on a branch across from the spring. That had to be the owl. He stared at the owl, trying to make it more interesting than the nude elf beside him. Looked like one of the eared owls, judging by the silhouette.

Karliah sat close to him, looking in the same direction. "Owl?"

"I like owls," Solas was not sure what else to say in response. "Very efficient predators. Beautiful animals as well. I have thought of keeping one as a pet." He could feel her hip against his. More immediately, he could feel heat pooling at the pit of his stomach. He was thankful the lack of moon and the murky water. The Inquisitor did not need to notice that.

"Why haven't you?"

"Their nests are difficult to rob," he answered. He stared ahead, "Are you done bathing?"

She turned and retrieved her soap. "Would you mind getting my back?" She held the purple bar out to him.

He should have expected that. Yet, he was not about to refuse her. He took the bar of soap and gestured for her to turn around. He washed her back as tepidly as he could manage. Her back was well muscled and mostly clear. Only a few freckles. Unlike her shoulders which were splattered with them. It was kind of cute. No, nothing about the Inquisitor was cute. She just needed someone to wash the parts of her back she could not reach. That was all. He'd tell her to ask Bull next time. Why did he agree to this?

He cleared his throat and handed the bar of soap to her. "That should do it," he said.

"Thanks" she said. She replaced the soap by the side of the pool.

They sat in silence. The sound of the rushing water and the owl's hooting was pleasant. Crickets chirped in the bushes but there was nothing more. Just the two of them, warm water, and the starlight. Karliah splashed water on her face again and ran her fingers through her short hair. He had asked her about why she kept her hair short once before. She said it was so no one could grab it. He did not have the heart to tell her that he could definitely grab it. No. Away from those thoughts.

Karliah stretched her legs, her toes poking out from the dark water. "This is so nice, I could spend all night in here."

"Should I leave you and the hot spring alone?" he was not about to get out of the water. Not yet. He could not let her notice. Or even give her the chance to notice.

She laughed, "Allow me to amend my last statement: I could spend all night in here with you."

He felt her toes trail along his shin. She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder. He breathed deeply. His heart beat faster. He crossed his legs in an attempt to hide his arousal. The owl still did not serve as a good distraction from the Dalish woman beside him. He gave in slightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She pressed her lips on his jaw, trailing kisses up to his ear. She took his earlobe between her lips for a moment and then moved to kiss the tip of his ear. "How much do you want to bet that Sera or Bull is spying on us right now?" She whispered. With a giggle, she settled against his shoulder again.

"Are we betting money or favors?" He mentally kicked himself for that. He was not supposed to reciprocate her advances. Who was he kidding? In another world, he would take her right then and there. He banished the thought. He tried to imagine sitting next to a crocodile instead. It did not work. He imagined sitting next to Sera and almost wanted to jump out of the water. Change the subject. "I think we might want to keep an eye on our clothes. Knowing Sera."

"Right. No breeches," Karliah smiled at the memory. It would be unfortunate to return to camp sans clothes. She did not think Sera would be cruel enough to take their towels.

Had to change the subject more. The smell of lavender emanated from her skin and hair. He straightened his posture and stared straight ahead. He commanded himself to think. Think of anything but Karliah. Something really boring. Something academic. Something that had nothing to do with the naked woman leaned against him. "Are you good at riddles?" he said finally.

Karliah turned towards him, "What?"

"I want to see if you can solve this riddle."

The elven woman furrowed her brow, "Okay?"

He thought for a moment. He had read the riddle in a book some time ago, "This is a thing that is devoured by all things; flowers, trees, beasts, birds; bites steel, gnaws iron; grinds hard stone to meal; beats mountains down, ruins towns and slays kings. What is it?"

Karliah slipped out from beneath his arm. She leaned against the edge of the pool and stared off into the surrounding forest for a moment.

He watched as she mouthed the words to herself. Don't watch her lips, he scolded mentally. The owl he had been using to distract himself had flown away. He shifted and turned towards her a bit. The warm water splashed against his bare chest. There were a couple of leaves floating on the surface. The leaves could distract him. He watched as they swirled around with the gentle current.

The Inquisitor stretched her legs out in front of her again and closed her eyes. Lips moved almost imperceptibly when she whispered the words of the riddle.

Her legs rested on his knees. That was not the best place for them, given the current situation. He held her ankle in hopes that she would not get any closer. She did not need to notice that. He would never hear the end of it. "Give up?" he asked.

"No, I think I have it."

"What is it?"

"Time?"

"Are you sure?"

Karliah frowned and muttered the riddle to herself again. "Yes."

A small smile, "You are correct."

Karliah shifted again. She moved her legs away from under his grasp and off of his knee. Thank goodness for that. "Now, I have one for you," she said.

"Let's see if the great Inquisitor can stump me," Solas challenged. He rested his arm on a rock above the surface.

"I don't intend to. It should be easy," she said. She had to be up to something. "What do cows have four of, but women only have two of?"

Nipples, the part of his mind that he was trying to suppress kindly supplied. He sighed and frowned. "Legs," he said firmly. This woman was cruel.

She giggled and poked his leg with her toe, "Your first thought was 'nipples' wasn't it?"

"No," Solas lied.

She laughed again, "You so did!" she kicked her feet up and settled them onto his lap. Shit. "Admit it, you do have— do you have—?" her lips pursed to suppress a smile.

"Not a word."

With that, she lost all composure. Laughter erupted from her lips, "I didn't know I had that effect on you!"

"What did you expect to find when you put your feet there?" he demanded. So much for hiding it. He would not hear the end of it for weeks.

"Not a hard on!" she continued to laugh. She patted his cheek and stepped out of the water. She could not handle being around him after that. "I'll let you take care of that. I'm going to head back to camp." Karliah dried herself with her towel. She tried desperately to stifle her laughter. She failed. The Inquisitor dressed herself and departed. He could hear her snickering as she left. What a little shit.

Solas settled into the water. Of course. The owl had returned. Very timely. He decided right then and there that he hated that owl.

XXX

Sera rested atop of her sleeping bag in her pajamas. It was kind of nice to be somewhere different. Just the sound of crickets and the wind. No noisy tavern or the typical bustle of the city. One day she might enjoy living out in the country with a nice lady. Perhaps she would shoot arrows into deer from the window. That would be the life. Not sure if she could deal with living away from the common folk. It would get boring really fast. Fun for a bit though.

She pulled at a thread on her sleeping bag. "So Bull, out of all of the ladies at Skyhold, who do you think has the best tits?"

Bull drummed his fingers on his stomach. "I would put my money on Josephine. A woman wearing that many layers has to have something to hide."

"Really? Well… wait. Yeah. You have a point," she cushioned her head with her arm. After traveling for so long together, there was not much to talk about. Most conversations got out of the way on the road. Not knowing what to do with herself she tapped at Bull's horn, the one that was closest to her. "Do these feel things?"

Bull shrugged, "Not really. I can hear when you touch them though."

Sera withdrew her hand. "I'll keep that in mind."

The entrance to the tent opened and the Inquisitor stepped under the cloth flap. Her hair was still damp. "Evening," she greeted. "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Bull farted."

"I did."

The Inquisitor rolled her eyes and laughed. "At least it's aired out."

Bull propped himself on his elbows. "Where's Solas go? Thought you two would be traveling together."

Karliah placed her folded towel by her sleeping bag. "He had to take care of something, he should be back soon," she answered. Without much more conversation, she settled into her sleeping bag. The warm fur was welcoming and comfortable. She snuggled into the warmth and turned herself towards the wall of the tent. "Goodnight."

Bull and Sera wished her a good rest and continued their conversation. The Inquisitor could sleep through most of their conversations. She would not mind.

Another twenty minutes passed before the city elf and Qunari crawled into their respective bags. Within only a few more minutes the Inquisitor could hear Bull's breathing, slow and steady, and Sera's gentle snore. Karliah would not sleep until she knew Solas had returned. Even without the awkward situation prior, she liked to be sure that all of her companions were safe before she went to bed. Not that she doubted Solas's ability to protect himself it was still a precaution. She would look for him if he did not return soon.

Solas's behavior was odd to her. Most men, given the situation, would have been all over her. Men were easy like that. If there was a woman who was obviously interested they would do little to turn her down. Solas was interested, she could tell even before she put her foot on his lap. She knew that he had his reasons for hesitating, but he would not share them. It bothered her only slightly. It made her wonder what could possibly so horrid that he could not tell her. Now that she thought about it, she did not know much about the elven apostate. He studied the Fade, a lot. He was wise beyond his years. The world was not black and white to him, and she liked that. He was kind, he was smart, not to mention that he was handsome. Other than that, she felt as though she did not truly know him.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the tent poles. She wanted him to trust her the way she trusted him. Tell her about his family, his life before the Inquisition. Something other than his professional work. There had to be something more to Solas than just elven lore and the Fade. Old lovers, friends, a favorite place to visit, what sort of adventures he had been on. For all she knew, he could have children and a family that he never spoke about. It was unlikely, but possible. That bothered her.

However, she was not the type to push him into anything that he was not comfortable with. Sure, she flirted, but she always backed off as soon as he showed resistance. Sometimes he wanted her, and sometimes he wanted nothing to do with her. Her feelings were more consistent: she wanted his company. It made things difficult for her, but she liked to think she was getting better at reading the elven man. A general rule seemed to be that kisses were okay, as long as they were not on the lips. He would let her kiss his face and neck, but drew away when she came close to his mouth. It was too personal, he had told her. He had to initiate those sorts of kisses. She did not understand why it was so different when she tried. It was to him though. She had to respect that.

Footsteps approached and the entrance to the tent opened. She lifted her head and saw Solas's figure against the red tent walls. His eyes met her momentarily before he placed his things beside his bed. Wordlessly, he crawled into his sleeping bag and rested his head on his arm. His eyes met hers again. They stared at each other without speaking.

She pulled her hand from the warmth of her sleeping bag and held it between them, her palm up with an invitation. He let out a long breath through his nose and took her hand in his and placed the other on her shoulder. With subtle strength she didn't know he had, he pulled her close to him. She rested her forehead against his shirt, breathing in that lingering scent of sandalwood. He definitely kept sandalwood with his clothes, there was no other explanation.

Breathing deeply, she wrapped her fingers with his. "What took you?" she whispered barely loud enough for him to hear.

He kissed the top of her head. "None of your concern, _emma lath_," he replied just as quietly. He was not about to admit to her that he had gone owl hunting. He had a few feathers wrapped in his towel as souvenirs.

"Can I start saying sweet things to you in elven?" She asked. She pressed her lips to his shirt, not wanting to move but wanting to kiss him. He could feel it. That was what counted.

She could feel his breath against her skin, "I never said you couldn't."

Her thumb rubbed his finger. She brought his hand close to kiss his knuckles. "_Ma vhenan,_" she smiled when she used the ancient tongue. It felt right.

Solas breathed a short but quiet laugh. Lips against her head, his nose in her hair.

"Are you laughing at my elvish?" she accused as quietly as she could manage.

"A little. Your pronunciation is off."

"You should teach me how to say it right."

"I will when I'm done being amused by it."

Karliah huffed, "You are not in a position to be giving me a _hard_ time."

Solas frowned and pulled away slightly. Did she really make a joke about that? He shook his head and muttered some curse in elvish. He stared at the tent poles above.

She laughed softly and place a hand on his cheek, gently turning his gaze back to her. "Oh Solas, don't be such a _stiff_."

Solas shook his head. May whatever higher powers there were forgive him. He pulled the woman even closer pressed his lips to hers. He could not help but smile into the kiss. That woman would be the end of him. It was rare that he met someone that talked to him like a normal person: the flirting, the teasing, the bickering, all of it. Oh that woman could make him angry. But it was the same woman who could make Fen'Harel laugh like a boy again.


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra no longer read the words on the pages before her. She just stared at the book. There was too much going on. Cullen had told her to relax and take a break. She agreed to the break, but only after the sun had set. It was difficult to aim at the training dummy in the dark. She had barely been able to eat supper. The Seekers were still missing. The Inquisitor was less than helpful. Instead of going to help her look for her former comrades she was off looking for rocks.

The Seeker closed the book and placed it on her bedside table. She rolled onto her back and stared at the wooden beams above her bed. Perhaps she could go find the Seekers on her own. No. She needed the support of the Inquisitor. Maker forbid any diplomatic altercations. The Inquisitor's presence seemed to… deter those of the most part. Or at least delay them.

There was little she could do until the Inquisitor's return. She was wasting her time fretting over it. It was useless. Her time could be better spent. Tomorrow, perhaps. It had gotten late. She could hear some soldiers returning to their quarters. Drunken chatter from those who were in the tavern. She considered going to the tavern that night but decided against it. No one needed to see her in her current state. She had a reputation to upkeep.

A quiet tapping at her door. She sat up and stared. She was not expecting any visitors. No one bothered her in the late evening. Even Sera would not cross that boundary. Even though she did cross the boundary of going through her unmentionables. Cassandra did not want to admit the earwigs surprised her. It was shocking to see them crawl on ones undergarments first thing in the morning. Where had she found so many of them anyway? She stared at the dresser. The earwigs were still in there.

Another knock. "Cassandra, are you there?" Cole's voice called from the other side.

Of course it was Cole. She should have suspected that. She let out a long breath and stood. Her bare feet quiet on the hardwood floor of her quarters. She unlocked and opened the door, "what is it, Cole?" Cassandra leaned against the door frame looked upon the spirit. Demon. Boy. Creature. Whatever he was. It.

Cole shifted the bag he was carrying in his arms. "I heard you earlier. You are scared, sad. Sorrow for the Seekers. I want to help. You wanted this, but did not want to get it. I brought it to you. May I come in?" Cole said.

This? What was 'this'? Oh, the bag. Cole was still not the most articulate individual. "What did you bring?" she asked.

"I did not know what you liked. I brought both. I hope you will like one."

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Both of what, Cole?"

He shifted the bag into the crook of his arm. She heard glass on glass. Cole did not even have to finish pulling an item out of the bag before she gasped. She pulled him inside and slammed the door behind them.

"Oh, thank you for letting me in," Cole adjusted the bag again. "I have not been in your room before. It smells like paper. I like it."

Cassandra pinched her nose bridge. "Do not ever do this again."

"Do what?" He blinked. She had dragged him inside. She had to want him there, right? If she had wanted him to leave she would have pushed him out.

Fortunately, she did not think anyone saw Cole approach. A soldier stationed on the battlements might have. With any luck, they were looking the other way. "Cole, you do not come alone to a woman's chambers in the middle of the night. Especially with that. People will get the wrong idea."

Cole's eyebrows drew together and he looked into the bag. "With wine or with goblets?"

"Both. It's not appropriate."

The blonde man continued to stare into the bag. "It is appropriate at the tavern," he reasoned.

Another sigh from the Seeker. "That is true. But it is not appropriate when a young man brings wine to a woman's chambers. Or any alcohol."

"Does it go bad in women's rooms?" Cole set the bag on the desk by her door. He pulled out a bottle of red wine and scrutinized it. The liquid did not appear different from entering Cassandra's room. He was confused. He checked the white wine as well to be certain.

Cassandra noted the labels. Handwritten with a date and the name of the vineyard. He must have stolen them from the stash Josephine had collected to entertain visiting nobles. Most of those bottles had handwritten labels. "Cole, do I really need to explain it to you?"

"Yes," he answered. He pulled two goblets from the bag and set them on the table.

She did not stop him. "People will think you are trying to seduce me," she said shortly. She crossed her arms and leaned against the closed door. Cassandra did not have the heart to be angry with him. It was naiveté on his part. Not his fault.

"Oh," Cole wrapped his fingers around the neck one of the bottles. "I can leave these with you. I do not mind. Varric told me that people should not drink wine alone. So I am here. Talking helps."

At least the creature always meant well. "You wish to talk to me?"

"Yes. Words wander through your mind. They want out. They keep trying to escape but you won't let them," he said. He continued to stare at the wine bottle on the desk. Was he supposed to put it back in the bag? He did not know.

Cassandra approached the desk. She picked up the goblet and turned the metal cup between her fingers. Incredible, he knew to bring clean drink ware. At that moment she realized that she had close to no faith in Cole. A twang of guilt. He had done nothing wrong. Perhaps she was too harsh on the boy. She hated to admit when she was wrong, but she knew Cole could not be a demon. There would have been some sort of sign.

The wine was more than tempting. She was not one to drink away her problems. She did not intend to. Cole's offer sounded nice. It would be an opportunity to get to know the boy. That and let out her frustration. Varric had advertised Cole as Skyhold's local therapist. She would see how true that was. He still appeared a little creepy to her. "Did you bring a bottle opener?"

Cole thought for a moment. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. He unfolded a corkscrew from among the blades. "I have this. Varric used it before."

Did he take that with him everywhere? It was Cole. He probably did. "Have you opened a bottle of wine before?" She was curious. She did not even know Cole drank. Or consumed anything. Perhaps it was a recent development. It went to prove he was making an effort towards becoming more human.

"No."

Cassandra picked up the bottle of red wine and read the label more closely. A merlot. Decent choice. Cole most likely grabbed the first one he saw. She still appreciated it. It was rare for someone to do something nice for her without ulterior motive. He was a spirit of compassion after all. He most likely did not know how to behave with ulterior motives. "Would you like to open this one?"

Cole smiled. She was pleased with him. "Yes."

XXX

Nights in the Exalted Plains were warmer than those in Skyhold. The warm wind rolled over the long grass like ocean waves. The humidity was comfortable after the sun had set. During the day the thick air was almost unbearable.

The Inquisitor and her comrades made short work of the first temple. The decrepit ruins once housed the elven artifact they had found almost a week ago. It had been hidden by the overgrowth. Even after hours of searching there were no other similar stones to be found. Sera had suggested that the elves might have buried them. Solas reminded her that the ancient elves were not squirrels and did not bury their possessions. Sera insisted on digging up a few spots anyway, much to Solas's dismay. To her credit she managed to find a gold ring. She planned to sell it on her return to Skyhold.

The entrance to the second temple was more difficult to find. They had spent the majority of the afternoon and evening looking for it. Around sunset they had sent their horses back with the Inquisition scouts that had accompanied them. They did not need to worry about the safety of their mounts while out in the wilderness. The wolves could be heard howling among the hills. The horses would not make it through the night without the safety of the Inquisition camp.

Hours spent wandering though the wilderness passed in silence. Solas lead the party with a torch in hand and Karliah at his side. Bull and Sera stayed back with their hands on their weapons. Sera was particularly jumpy. She kept three arrows in her firing hand, ready to shoot at whenever a twig snapped. Bull was more concerned about the elf misfiring on him than the wolves.

A cliff loomed overhead and blocked the moonlight. They walked in the shadow of the cliff, close to the dirt, stone, and clay. The smell of wet earth permeated the air. Footsteps soft on the grass and soil beneath their feet. "It's along the base of this cliff," Solas said. He trailed his fingertips along the uneven walls as he passed by.

"What is?" Bull asked impatiently.

Solas turned to look back at him, his eyes reflective in the darkness. He noticed that Sera's and Karliah's eyes had also become catlike in the dark. It was an elf thing. A creepy elf thing. "The same thing we have been looking for all evening. The entrance."

Sera groaned, "Then why didn't we check here first?" An owl hooted and she pointed her arrow in the general direction of the bird.

"In case you have not been paying attention for the past few hours, there are a lot of cliffs in this area. They are not easy to traverse," Solas answered.

"Yeah. No shit, Baldy. How do we know this is the right one?" Sera kept her arrow poised just in case there were any other interruptions of wildlife or rouge leaves.

Solas looked ahead, hoping to see the narrow entrance. He did not. He knew it was well hidden. That was the only reason why he thought it may still be intact. Not only that, he could sense something elven. "The magic is strong here."

"The magic is being a little bitch here," Sera mocked.

Karliah sighed. "Stop it, Sera. The sooner we find it the sooner we can rest. We will be safe once we are inside the temple. The bickering doesn't help."

"Ugh, of course you take his side."

"There are no sides here, Sera," Solas stated simply.

Wolves howled in the distance. They sounded a little closer now. They walked in silence for another few minutes. It had to be here. Somewhere. Perhaps the entrance was smaller than he remembered. No, he could see the subtle landmark. A round rock that protruded from the cliff was unnatural compared to the surrounding landscape. "There," Solas quickened his pace. The two female elves and the Qunari followed.

There were scratches in the stone landmark. Obviously some people have tried to remove it. Or access the temple. The stone was stuck in a narrow crevice. Only a couple of inches across. Judging by the growth around the stone, it had not been tampered with for quite some time. The scratches were likely old.

Solas gestured for the others to stand back. With a spell he activated the stone. Magic tendrils spread into the surrounding earth, forcing it apart. The stone remained imbedded in the cliff as the crevice widened, stuck to one of the walls. The cliff seemed to fold into itself like an accordion, making an entrance big enough for people to pass through. "That should do," Solas said.

Karliah, Iron Bull, and Sera stared at the elf wide eyed. Jaws slacked.

"You just moved a cliff like it was nothing. That was badass!" Bull said and clapped the elf on the shoulder. He looked up the side of the cliff to be sure that there were no rocks poised to fall. There weren't.

Sera continued to stare. "What…" was the only word she managed to get out.

He adjusted the gloves Karliah had given him. They tended to get warmer after casting a spell. "There are very few like this. Fortunately, the spirits in the Fade taught me how to open such doors. They were inspired by the ancient—"

"We don't need a history lesson," Sera finally got over her awe. She replaced her arrows into her quiver and approached the crevice. "There's a place to sleep in there, yeah?"

"A place sheltered and dry, yes. There should be."

"Should be?" Sera demanded. She just wanted to go to bed. She had enough elfy-ness for one day. It needed to be over. If she had to listen to Solas blabber on and on about something elven she was going to have to shoot another arrow at him. He had deflected the first one she aimed at his arse that morning.

Solas led the way between the walls of the cliff. "If my suspicion is correct, it should be completely abandoned. Otherwise we may need to evict the current residents."

Sera groaned. The entrance was a simple stone slab, outlined by bricks engraved with elven characters. It appeared more of a grave than a temple. With another spell the stone slab slid aside to reveal a set of stairs that led into darkness. "Who wants to go first?" Solas said even though he had an idea of what the answers would be.

Karliah passed him and started down the stairs with a huff. "The longer we look at it the scarier it will seem," her voice echoed against in the stairwell.

Solas shook his head and followed after. He waited for Bull and Sera to get inside before he sealed the entrance behind them. The cliffs above groaned as they moved back together. He did not want to risk being followed. Or for the temple to be discovered. From the look of the stone slab, the entrance to the temple had indeed been untouched for centuries. It should remain that way.

The stairs went into the earth at least one hundred steps. There were doors on either side of the narrow stairwell. Each one was opened when they passed. Most contained small rooms with dust covered chests and containers. One seemed to be a study with paper still sprawled over the desk. Another led into a long hallway that ended in what appeared to be a privy, much to Bull's delight. He did not want to think about the least disrespectful place to take a crap in a temple. He would have gone just outside the entrance if Solas had not sealed it. A privy was good. Solas lit the torches that remained on the wall. Some were missing or too rotten to light. Perhaps they would replace them before they left.

There was a narrow hall at the bottom of the stairs that lead into a small rounded room. An open archway across the hall revealed a dark room. Solas lit the torch at the bottom of the stairs and the freestanding iron torch in the center of the room. "Will this do, Sera?" he asked sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes at him. "If something jumps out and murders us here, I'm going to— kill you in the afterlife or some shit." The blonde elf made her way to the center of the room and dropped her bedroll and bags on the mosaic floor.

"We sure this place is safe?" Bull asked and set down his belonging as well.

Solas glanced around, "We should be safe for the night. This area was a place of worship, safe for the common folk who could find it. There should be nothing to fear."

Bull unrolled his sleeping bag next to the center torch. "Good to hear. I'm sleeping next to my axe."

"I won't stop you," Solas replied. He noticed Karliah standing next to the opposing archway, peering into the darkened room. He started towards her.

Karliah stepped under the archway. She lit the torch on the other side with her staff. Another chamber. Slightly larger and round with a high ceiling. She went around the circumference of the room, lighting the torches as she went. Solas watched as the room illuminated. He became more certain that the temple was completely untouched. He was thankful for that. He followed after Karliah and observed the state of the doors. Sealed and dusty. No one had touched them in a while. To be safe, he cast barriers on the doors in case there was anything on the other side.

The next archway lead into an alcove which contained a statue. The statue of whom the temple was dedicated to. Its head nearly reached the ceiling. Karliah stared wide eyed at the figure. Her steps were small and hesitant. The statue was nothing like she had ever seen. Marble and imbedded with gems. Not uncommon for most deities. Uncommon for the one that stood before her. "Fen'Harel," Karliah read the elven text at the base of the statue.

"Yes?" Solas finished casting a barrier on the last door. He blinked, surprised by his own response. That made no sense in response to her statement. He could play it off. He approached her. "Have you not seen one of his temples before?"

Karliah shook her head. "Didn't know they existed."

"There are very few of them. They were abandoned long ago, most were destroyed. This might be the only one left standing," he explained.

She continued to gaze upon the statue. Gems and jewelry were gathered dust at its paws. Ancient offerings to the deity. "I'm glad that some pieces of our history still remain."

He stared up at the statue beside her, "Me too."

XXX

Cole opened the second bottle of wine with a little less grace than the first. The straw yellow liquid splashed over his hand and ran down his forearm. Cassandra laughed at his clumsiness. She sat on the floor of her room, leaned against her mattress. There was no proper seating in her quarters. She would have felt bad if she made Cole sit on the floor by himself. Instead, they sat side by side at the foot of her bed with goblets in hand and smiles on their lips.

Cassandra covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, "Cole, if we have any more we are both going to be out of commission tomorrow."

The blonde man held the newly at his side. He stared at Cassandra's bare feet. He did not know why. "Do you want me to," he blinked and gathered his thoughts. "Do you want me to put the cork back?"

She laughed again, this time at his intoxication. It was like he was not entirely sure what was happening to him. Or what to make of it. It was endearing in a way. "Only if you want to. I could handle another," Cassandra held her goblet out to the boy.

He poured the wine into her goblets. The remnants of the red wine mixed with the white. The red dissipated as he poured, unnoticeable by the time the goblet had been filled. He handed the drink to the Seeker before refilling his own glass.

He settled clumsily beside her. The wine nearly splashed over the rim of the goblet with the action and onto his knee. "This is not how I expected— anticipated alcohol would feel."

Cassandra's brow furrowed, concerned. "Do you think you had too much?"

Cole shook his head. "No, I will be fine. You are enjoying this."

"You are a funny drunk, Cole," she had to give him credit where credit was due: he succeeded in cheering her up. They talked over the first glass of wine for almost an hour. Cole listened as she vented her frustrations to him, sympathetic and engaged. There was no "you should have done this" or "why don't you do that" from him. Just sincerity in every word he spoke. Concern for her wellbeing. An odd warmth. Not the feeling she had expected when the spirit first knocked on her door that evening. She did not regret letting him come in.

It had been a long time since she allowed herself to have some fun with a stranger. Well, mostly a stranger. While she had known Cole for several months, she never had much of a conversation with him. Her distress about the Seekers must have caught his attention. He explained that he felt her pain when she was out training earlier that day. It was odd, he said, because usually her pain was short but this one seemed to grow. After talking with the boy it ebbed away. Sure there was ache in her heart for the missing Seekers. She was still angry with the Inquisitor as well. However, her emotions seemed to have found a balance. Cole reminded her of the good, even though he never explicitly stated what that good was. Just that it existed. It was reassuring.

The white wine was sweet in comparison to the red. Cole licked his lips. "Now it tastes like grapes," he commented. He was confused by the flavor of the red wine. It was made of grapes but did not taste like grapes. It gave him a sense of comforting warmth like a fireplace. He could not determine the taste.

Cassandra lost her composure and began to laugh again. "Does it now?"

"The last one tasted like—reminded me of—" Cole sipped at his wine again, "I don't actually know."

"I think you are drunk, Cole," she stated. She stared into her goblet, observing the pale yellow liquid against silver lining of the cup. She took a long sip. White wine went down easier than red. "I want to thank you. Talking with me tonight, it means more to me than you realize."

Cole drew his knees up to his chest. "I am glad that I could help," he said. He felt a weight against his side.

Cassandra leaned on him slightly, her cheek on his leather shoulder pad. "Don't let anyone know you saw me like this. If you do, I will convince Solas to send you back to the Fade."

"Oh, I don't want to go back there. I won't share what you don't want me to share."

She sighed. She lifted her head to drink again. "You share a lot."

"Only what is safe to share. Sometimes sharing saves people and solves problems. I will keep this secret. You have my word," Cole promised. He tilted his head to look at her.

Cassandra rested her head on his shoulder again. Her legs folded neatly beneath her. Had it been any other man she would have expected a move to be made. He just smiled and continued to drink his wine. It was as if he was happy just to be in her presence. She had not gotten that feeling from someone in a long time. Her eyelids were heavy but she did not want to sleep. She did not want the fleeting moment of solace to pass just yet.

Cole drank again. Small sips. He stared ahead. His eyes followed a small black oval as it moved over the wooden dresser across the room. "Sera gave you the earwigs," he said.

Cassandra groaned and watched the black dot as it crawled back into her drawer. "Unfortunately, I don't know how to get rid of them. Killing them just makes my clothes covered in bug guts."

He thought for a moment. He remembered what Sera said about playing pranks. Fun. Cole turned back to Cassandra, "Want to give them back?

"Are you suggesting that we pick all of the earwigs out of my underwear drawer?"

"Yes," Cole replied. "We can put them in Sera's."

Cassandra smiled and pushed herself to her feet. Not what she had expected from a spirit of compassion. She did not know that he was capable of suggesting such mischief. She offered Cole a hand and helped the blonde man off of the floor, "That may be the best idea I've heard all day."


	5. Chapter 5

Solas awoke sometime in the middle of the night. His hand was cold. He remembered falling asleep holding Karliah. Her fingers weaved between his and her head on his chest. Her sleeping bag was empty. There was a torch lit in the adjacent room. Judging by Sera's snoring and Bull's heavy breathing, they were still asleep. With minimal noise, Solas got out of his sleeping bag to investigate the torch. He expected to find Karliah near the light source. He was correct. She sat cross legged in front of the statue, staring at it.

She turned when he approached. "Hey," was the only thing she had to say. She was quiet, bags under her eyes.

"Can you not sleep?" Solas asked in a whisper just loud enough for her to hear. He sat beside her and leaned back on his hands.

Karliah shook her head. "Kept having nightmares. Needed to distract myself a bit."

"What were the nightmares?"

She sighed. "About a boy I knew when I was younger. I dreamt that he found me, and that he was angry. I've had those nightmares before. I'm not sure why it shook me tonight," she said. She looked at the statues paws and picked at her nails. Anxious. "Would it be disrespectful to clean the statue?"

"Not at all," Solas replied with the smallest hint of a smile.

Without a word she reached forward and picked up a golden necklace at the base of the statue. She brushed off the dust with her thumb. She was gentle when she cleaned each chain segment. The gold still shined as if it was new with the dust cleared away. When she was satisfied with the cleanliness of the necklace, she replaced it and started on the next closest offering. It kept her hands busy and she was glad for that.

Solas stared up at the statue. Other than the dust, the marble figure seemed to be in perfect condition. Perhaps they could clean the whole thing before they left. Sera would not stand for that. He let the idea drop.

"Tell me, Karliah. What do the Dalish say about Fen'Harel?" he asked. Part of him was curious. Another part wanted to take her mind off of the nightmare. It would be entertaining to hear what sort of wild stories the Dalish had spun about him. They had a tendency to be misinformed about their own history. It was a little sad.

Karliah replaced the gem. "I heard different things. No clan seems to have the same story," she began. She brought her knees to her chest and hugged them. "My clan believed him to be an evil god, one you could never trust. Wolves were considered to be his minions. In my clan, they would feed prisoners to the wolves. They wanted to be sure that Fen' Harel took the criminals. They would tie them up to a tree and the wolves would come in the night. Nothing was left by morning. That's how the boy died. The one in my nightmare."

"Ah," he did not know how to reply to that. Gruesome to say the least. Not the response that he was expecting.

She leaned her head on her arm and looked at him with tired eyes. "I questioned some of my clan's tales. I had heard other stories from other clans, stories that contradicted the ones told by our elders. Original sources for elven lore are hard to come by, but I found the oldest stories that I could in my travels. I do not believe the Dread Wolf was an evil god. Neutral, but not evil."

He mimicked her posture. His blue eyes met her green ones, "Why do you disagree? Most of the Dalish believe him to be evil."

Karliah let out a long breath. "It makes me nervous to talk to you about this stuff. You know so much, I feel like a bumbling idiot."

"I want to hear it."

"You will laugh at me," she said. She gave a resigned sigh. "I don't know, to be honest. No society pays worship to an evil god."

"You would be surprised," Solas replied. He settled back on his hands and let out a breath. Almost what he expected from a Dalish elf, but not quite. "The Dalish have a way of skewing events. They blindly believe whatever story works at the time. It is sad that stories change to fit societal ideals. Kings become tyrants. A savior becomes a traitor."

"Depends on which title persists through history."

"Usually the wrong one with the Dalish."

Karliah shrugged, her brow furrowed. "The Dalish are not the only ones guilty of incorrectly remembering events," she said. Her tone was more defensive than she had intended.

"That is true."

"Yet you judge me," she bit. Her eyes seemed to harden on him.

Solas sat up and met her gaze, "Did I?"

"You had that look on your face. The one where it looks like your biting your tongue."

He sighed. "I judge the Dalish. Not you."

"I am Dalish, in case that fact was not plain on my face," she traced the muddy red tattoos on her chin and her forehead.

He let out another long breath. "I do not wish to fight," he said and got to his feet.

"If that were the case you would not have insulted me," she said.

"How did I insult you?" he demanded.

"You insult my people every opportunity you get. By insulting my people you are insulting me," she frowned. She could not look at him anymore.

He rolled his eyes, "it's a fact. Not an insult."

"It's possible to state the facts without acting like an egotistical prick."

Did she really start name calling? Typical. He should have expected that. "Should I speak more plainly for you? Sugarcoat the truth so it doesn't hurt? I know how you Dalish love to live in a lie."

"Live a lie," she repeated and scoffed. She still did not look at him. "Piss off," she said, defeated.

At least she knew when to quit. He was not quite done with the woman yet. She had made him angry. He was not about to let her have the last word. "The other day you claimed you were an adult. Perhaps you should try acting like one. That includes being able to have a civilized discussion about something you may not agree with. Goodnight."

She did not reply. Instead she buried her head in her arms. He decided to leave her and go back to bed. If she wanted to pick a fight, then so be it. He did not have to indulge her. He did not want to encourage her childish behavior. He crawled back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. His mind still raced. He clamped his teeth together and pulled the blanket up to his face. He did not his frustration to be noticed. Sera still snored. Bull's horn clacked on the floor when he turned his head, still sound asleep.

The torch in the other room went out. Complete darkness again. Solas heard the Inquisitor's footsteps as she returned. Her sleeping bag was still nestled close to his as he had not bothered to move it. She pulled it a few feet away before settling down. She did not say a word when she crawled under the blankets.

He could not help but noticed that she slept with her back towards him. Maturity, he had learned, was not one of her strong suits.

XXX

The smell of coffee and fresh bread wafted through Skyhold's great hall that morning. There were a few soldiers finishing their breakfasts. They chatted tiredly about how they did not want to run drills with Cullen that morning. Only after Cullen had left, of course.

Varric and Josephine sat near the main entrance of the building. He had a pad of paper out, ready for any idea that might come to mind. Josephine quietly ate her breakfast and read over some letters. She did not say what the letters were. Just that she needed to think of the proper response to them. She asked Varric how to structure her sentences in her draft every so often. Which way sounded less accusatory, or more direct, or less likely to be misconstrued? He could never tell if she listened to his feedback or if she was just thinking out loud.

Varric sipped the hot black coffee. It was nice to have that jolt of energy in the morning. Josephine sat on the sofa across from him. Her coffee had cream and sugar stirred into it. Varric did not know how people could dilute their coffee like that. He had tried it before. It was too sweet for him.

With her free hand, Josephine picked up her quill and jotted down a few notes. "So Varric, do you know who the Inquisitor plans on bringing to Halamshiral? I must let the palace guards know who they should be expecting."

"Solas," he answered immediately.

Josephine let out a sigh and made a mark on her paper, "of course she would bring the elven apostate to an Orlesian ball."

"She probably wants another elf around. You know how they are. Better him than Sera."

"Yes, definitely," she placed her quill on the side table again. "There are rumors of the two of them being involved. Do you know anything about that?"

"Who? Sera and Solas?" he joked.

Josephine laughed. "You know who I meant."

The dwarf waved his hand dismissively. "I can't answer that. To be honest, I don't think they can either."

She shook her head, "Of course. Just, you know how the people in Orlais are? The smallest bit of gossip spreads like fire on gasoline. If the rumors are true, we would need to do some… damage control. It is distressing enough for them to know the Inquisitor is an elf. And a mage. Knowing that she may be involved with an apostate would not gain her any favors."

"Very true. Ask her when she gets back," Varric blew on his coffee before taking a sip. It was strong and bitter, just the way he liked it. He decided that he would take advantage of the mornings the staff made coffee more often. He was not motivated enough to brew it himself.

Josephine excused herself after she had finished her breakfast. Work to do, she said. She always had work to do. The woman never seemed to take a break unless is was to eat or sleep. Even then she skipped out on those activities on occasion.

The soldiers in the hall cleared out at a steady pace. There were murmurs about Cullen making them run extra laps if they were late. Varric was glad that he did not have to take orders from Cullen. He was not built for that sort of life. Perhaps in his youth he could have handled it. Not now. He ate his warm bread without any guilt. He could still fire Bianca even if he ate bread for breakfast more often than he should. Most people ate fruit or leftover meat. That would have been healthier.

Sometime between when the soldiers left for training and Varric went to retrieve his second cup of coffee, Cassandra entered the great hall. She seemed more exhausted than usual. Varric assumed that she was stressed out about the Seekers. He had to agree with Cassandra on one thing: the Inquisitor was wasting her time looking for the elven rocks. What were they anyway? To him, it just seemed like Karliah was trying to get on Solas's good side. Not that she needed to work for it. He seemed pretty easy to get along with from his experiences with the elf.

Cassandra approached the table at the front of the hall. All that remained coffee, a few slices of bread, and some bruised fruit. She filled her plate and took the coffee pot after Varric finished with it. "Good morning," her voice was raspy and weak.

The Seeker appeared pale and her eyes tired. She had not braided her hair. "You sick, Seeker? You don't look too great," he commented.

She groaned, "So kind of you to notice, Varric."

Varric walked alongside her to his chair. She sat where Josephine had been sitting only moments before. She settled into the soft furniture and sipped her hot coffee. Like Varric, she took her coffee black. She had a piece of bread and a banana on her plate. Not her usual breakfast.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "Fine Varric, just did not sleep well. Have you seen Cole this morning?"

He glanced around as if he expected Cole to be lurking nearby. No sign of the blonde man. Odd. He usually liked to be around at breakfast time. People seemed to get happier during the first meal of the day, the spirit had said. He enjoyed listening to the nostalgia most experienced when enjoying warm coffee and fresh bread. Varric had to agree with Cole. Staring at the fireplace with a cup of coffee in hand tended to bring back good memories. "I haven't. He usually finds me by now. Why?"

She held the warm mug to her lips. "Perhaps you should check on him. He was up to some mischief last night." She blew away the steam rising from her cup. The smell was welcoming, but also made her feel a little nauseous. She should have had more water before going to sleep. Bad decisions were made the previous night. Bad decisions that she did not regret. She would smile at tthe memories once her head stopped pounding.

"Oh geeze, what did the kid do now?" Varric stood up with his mug in hand.

She shrugged. "Go ask him."

"You can't tell me?" Varric demanded. He took a few steps towards the door. Cole's absence and Cassandra's cryptic comments made him fear for the boy. He knew that Cassandra did not like him much. She did not know what he was. Varric had noticed the Seeker had a tendency to fear whatever she did not completely understand. He would not tell her that.

Cassandra put her lips to the hot liquid but pulled away. Still too hot. "I'm not going to say anything. He has to tell you. Let me know what he says," she said. Perhaps she should have considered cream in her coffee to cool it. The caffeine would help with her hangover, and she wanted it sooner rather than later. Why did she stay up so late and drink so much? Why did she not get a pitcher of water before returning to her quarters?

Varric knew that he would not get any more information out of the Seeker. She had made him concerned for Cole. Cole could take care of himself, sure. However, Cassandra had piqued his curiosity. "Ugh, I'll go check on the Kid," Varric said. With his mug in hand, he walked across the courtyard and into the tavern. The spirit had a tendency to hang around the top floor.

He circled the top floor once but Cole was nowhere to be seen. The door to the tower was slightly ajar. That was a clue.

Varric pushed open the door to the tower. The bed that was usually left vacant had an occupant for once. Curled up in a ball and the blankets over his head. His hat was on the floor along with his boots. He did not acknowledge Varric. He pulled the blankets closer and brought his knees to his chest. The dwarf had not seen Cole in such a state before. It was disconcerting. Perhaps he had gotten a cold. With him becoming more human even the smallest illness must be new to him. Poor thing.

He closed the door behind him. The dwarf sat at the edge of the bed. "Are you alright, Kid?"

A groan, but no other response. That was not typical of Cole.

Varric patted the boy on shoulder. Maybe it was his arm. He could not tell with the blanket over him. "Seeker said to go check on you. Heard you got up to some 'mischief' last night?"

Another groan. "Did she say that?" he replied groggily.

"Why don't you tell me what happened, Kid," Varric said. He took a sip of his coffee and rested the mug on his knee. It was unlike Cole to be so unresponsive. He had to be sick. Or have done something embarrassing. What could have happened?

Cole shook his head.

"No?"

He nodded that time.

"What did you do that was so bad that you can't tell me?" he asked. He was curious before, but the curiosity had grown into concern. What could he have done? Lit a horse on fire? Put lyrium on Cullen's toothbrush? Poked holes in the soldier's condom supply? The aforementioned scenarios were farfetched. He had a hard time thinking of what sort of 'mischief' Cole could get into that was bad enough to keep Cassandra awake. She did not care when he stole the daggers or threw radishes in the fireplace. No, he had to have done something big.

Cole tucked the blanket under his chin. He stared at Varric from the corner of his eye. "Nothing bad. Not bad. I don't think it was bad. What was the question?"

He sighed. At least Cole did not think he did something wrong. That was a good sign. He had a decent sense of right and wrong. He also knew that Cole would not hurt anyone. What could he have done? "Cassandra said you were up to 'mischief' last night?" he repeated.

"Oh. Did she say that?"

"Yes, we've been over this."

"Is that coffee?"

Varric gave up. He was not going to get an answer out of Cole that morning either. He could try again later. Cole seemed a little too interested in his coffee. He claimed that caffeine helped headaches. Perhaps he could get Cole to talk more over a cup of coffee. With some effort, the boy got out of bed and followed the dwarf back to the main hall.

XXX

Without any source of natural light, it was difficult to determine how long they had slept. A torch was lit in the other room when Solas awoke. Sera was no longer snoring. The blonde elf traced the small mosaic tiles on the floor with her finger, lost in thought. Bull's and Karliah's sleeping bags were empty. In the room with the statue, Solas assumed.

Solas rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm. Did he really get into a fight with the Inquisitor about the Dread Wolf? Yes. He did. If one could call it a fight. More like a petty disagreement. He had said nothing to offend her. Not that he could remember what exactly he said. He was certain that she was putting words in his mouth. He had a look on his face, she had said. What sort of look? The one a person makes when another is so terribly wrong about something it would take weeks to correct them? No, he scolded himself. It was not her fault. He had to remember that her ignorance was the fault of her clan, not of her personal drive. At least she made an attempt. Give her some credit.

A small part of him hoped that Karliah had forgotten the argument. He did not want to spend his time in the temple being angry with the Inquisitor. Her angry with subtle but not silent. He would know within seconds of talking with her. It was not the first time they had such a disagreement. She was quick to forgive and forget. Though the spats had never escalated to name calling.

Sera was looking at him. "You're up," she stated the obvious. She was already dressed in her armor but had crept under her blankets. Her eyes no longer had bags under them. They must have been asleep for a while. If given the choice, Sera slept until the afternoon.

He got out of his sleeping bag and rolled it neatly. "Why did you not wake me?"

Sera shrugged. "Karliah said not to," she answered. She pulled a piece of bread wrapped in paper from her bag. "Said to give you this when you woke up if she was still gone. We've already eaten."

So the Inquisitor was still angry with him. Did not need to even talk to her to know that. It would make exploring the temple more interesting. He took the bread from the blonde elf and returned it to his bag. "Where is the Inquisitor?"

She nodded towards the adjacent room. "Cleaning the statue with Bull. Think he had to pick her up or something. Took your rock thing too," she said. She sat up and turned towards the other room. "Bull! Kar!" she called loudly. Her voice echoed in the rounded room. "Elfy's awake!"

"Fan-fucking-tastic!" Karliah replied. She giggled as if she had made a joke.

Solas could hear Bull laugh. The elf rolled his eyes. So she did not want to be subtle about the argument. Did Sera and Bull know of the previous night's altercation? Most likely not. Sera would have brought it up. She seemed like drama when it was at his expense.

After packing up his things, Solas went to the room with the statue. Bull stood at the base of the statue with his head tilted up. Karliah was nowhere to be seen. He could hear movement though.

Bull acknowledged Solas but kept his attention on the statue. "She went to clean the top of the statue," he explained plainly.

"Oh. I take it she needed a leg up," he said. The dust had been wiped away. The marble figure's shine was not like new, but it was clean. He did not think Karliah would actually go through with cleaning the statue. The statue had not eroded or cracked in the centuries of absence. The ancient elves were excellent architects. Most of their structures would still stand if humans had not actively tried to destroy them. They could withstand the forces of weather and time better than that of any other monument built by an ancient society.

He noticed Karliah had removed her boots before climbing all over the statue. At least her feet would not scuff the marble. "What are you doing back there?" Solas asked.

"Cleaning. Probably incorrectly," she replied.

"How do you clean incorrectly?" Bull said with an amused look on his face.

"By being Dalish," she poked her head out from behind the statue when she said that just to make eye contact with Solas. Her eyes were puffy, she must not have slept well. She smirked and went back to cleaning.

Bitch. "It is true that the Dalish do most things incorrectly," he quipped. If this was the game she wanted to play, then so be it. He would win. She did not have to know that yet. If there was one thing Solas could do well, it was argue.

Bull did not seem to notice that there was some malice behind his words. The Qunari just laughed as if the two were playfully bickering.

Solas shook his head and tried to get a glimpse of Karliah. He could see her dust covered foot. That was it. "I will have to inspect after you are done. I need to be sure nothing was damaged," he said.

"Oh please do, I need as much help as I can get," her words oozed sarcasm. She sat on the back of the wolf statue as if it were a horse. With a piece of cloth that looked like her pajama top, she dusted the ears and mane. The sound of cotton on marble ceased. She scooted closer to the statue's head. "Hey Bull, hand me the elven rock thing."

Bull pulled the purple stone from his pocket. He had to stand on his toes to place it in her hand, "You find something, Boss?"

Of course she figured it out. Solas was going to bring it up after finding the other artifacts but she appears to have beaten him to it.

She turned the stone over a few times, "It looks like it fits right here." Karliah pressed the stone into the wolf's mane. It clicked in place. "Huh, I guess it does technically go into the body," she gazed down at Solas from between the wolf's ears, "Tell me, Solas. Did a Dalish woman get something right for once?"

He rolled his eyes. "You have discovered the obvious. Congratulations. We still have to find the other pieces." He turned and proceeded to remove the barriers from the doors. "There are four more slots like that, correct?"

Karliah frowned, "Yes." How did he know that? It was Solas, he most likely saw the statue before in the Fade. Either that or had visited the temple before. Both were likely since he knew where to find it. Perhaps she would ask when she was done being angry with him. She tended not to stay angry for long. It was hard to hold her tongue when she was and that often lead to regrets.

Sera eventually joined them in the room. She stared as Karliah wrapped her arms around the statues thick neck and dusted the mane. "You look like shit," Sera stated.

Karliah chuckled at the comment. She knew she definitely had better days. Her hair was turned up at all sort of odd angles from sleeping on tile. The tired eyes and oily skin covered in dust did not help matters. "Couldn't sleep. Kept having dreams," she said.

"Oh, the fun kind or not fun kind?" Sera teased. "Does the Inquisitor have naughty dreams? Who was it? Was it me again?"

Bull and Karliah laughed. Solas rolled his eyes and continued to remove the barriers he has placed the previous night. He was surrounded by twelve year olds.

"I'm fairly certain that was a one-time thing," Karliah smiled. She picked away the dust that had gathered in the shallow grooves of his fur.

Sera crossed her arms, "You enjoyed that one. Admit it."

"I most certainly did. Better than the one last night," she laughed.

"Was it Solas? It was Solas wasn't it. I told him that I would give him the peach demonstration but he walked away," Sera said.

Solas pinched the bridge of his nose, "Really?" He shook his head and started dismantling the next barrier.

His comment was ignored. Karliah leaned against the statues head, staring down between its ears again. "It was not. If you must know, it started out as a naughty dream."

"And then turned into a disappointing one because you are lying and it was Solas," Sera added. She glanced over her shoulder to get a glimpse of his reaction. There was none. It made her insult unsatisfactory.

Karliah giggled. "It was an ex-boyfriend. His name was Nairo. We made love the night before his execution, the wolves in the area must have reminded me," she patted the statue on the shoulder.

"Huh, didn't know you had an ex. What'd they kill him for?" Bull asked.

"It was years ago. He was possessed by some spirit, caused some trouble. They were afraid and didn't know how to kill him. So they fed him to the dogs," she said as if she had told the story a hundred times. She finished dusting off the top of the wolf's head and swung her legs to the side of the statue. She gestured for Bull to step back before she slid down the marble figure. She lost her footing at the bottom and fell to her side with a thump.

Bull and Sera laughed at the Inquisitor on the floor. She joined them in laughing, holding her stomach. She pointed accusingly at the statue, "Fen'Harel hurt me!" she joked. There was definitely a bruise on her hip from that fall. She should have asked Bull to help her down. She did not think of it until after the fact. Such is life.

Sera kneeled down beside the elf on the floor. "My day just started and I think that will be the highlight, her gracious lady-bits on knocked on her arse," she laughed.

Karliah looked up at the blonde elf and the Qunari, smiling at her friends. Even if Solas was mad at her, at least she had them. When she had first met Bull, she did not expect friends with the mercenary. She expected a business relationship, not looking forward to post mission drinks and conversation. Sera was another story. As soon as she met her, she knew they would be good friends. They did not always agree, but their need for fun kept them close.

Sera looked up at the statue, "You missed its crotch."

"I'm not touching Fen'Harel's statue dick," Karliah replied.

"I think you should. Just dust it off a bit," she laughed, making a motion that looked nothing like dusting.

The two elven women laughed on the floor together.

Solas resisted the temptation to snicker at the overheard conversation. Karliah did not need to know that she had already touched Fen'Harel's crotch.


	6. Chapter 6

The temple was larger than originally anticipated. The group had split up to cover more ground. Sera and Karliah were to search the area on the left of the statue. Solas and Bull were to look on the right. There were three doors on each side. Each led into long hallways. Door upon doors. More stairs. The temple of Fen'Harel was a never-ending labyrinth deprived of any life outside of the Inquisition.

Sera and Karliah started down the second corridor. Nothing was found in the first hallway except for a few pieces of jewelry and books. Sera had pocketed a few items to sell later. The middle door led down another flight of stairs. The air became colder as they went deeper into the earth. The scent of soil and rot were strong. Sera's nose wrinkled when the stench became stronger. Crypts of ancient elves at the bottom of the stairs. Sera readied her bow in anticipation of undead that would never rise. After exploring the Fallow Mire, she could never be certain.

Karliah lit the way with a torch. She passed the fire onto the wall torches and the small fire pits interspersed through the tomb. Who resided in the tomb, they did not know. Dozens of coffins lined the walls. Sera kicked each one to be sure that there was not a zombie inside. If they existed Sera wanted to kill them rather than let them be.

Part of Sera wanted to ask Karliah about her gross relationship with Solas. The other part of her wanted to pass the Bechdel test. "So Kar, you wanna do something when we get back?"

Karliah lit another torch. "What did you have in mind?"

Sera shrugged. "I don't know. Grab a couple of drinks at the tavern. Maybe play some cards," the blonde elf suggested.

"Sounds good to me," the Inquisitor replied. It had been a while since she had hung out with Sera one on one. They had enjoyed their time together. What had happened? Oh yes, Solas. Solas and his odd demand for Karliah's time. It was not the he directly requested it, it just so happened that he took up quite a bit of it. A lunch turned into a day-long outing. A research project turned to burning the midnight oil in the library. A training session turned into a magic lesson. It never seemed intentional. With the frequency it occurred, perhaps it was. Karliah did not understand the man.

The two searched the second corridor and every room it lead into. They could not determine what the rooms were once used for. Perhaps housing? Did some ancient elves live within temples? There were beds and drawers with old clothing. Perhaps there were some that stayed to guard the temple. Whoever those temple guards were, they were long since gone.

At the end of the hall was a locked door. No different from the other decrepit slabs of wood that lined the hall other than the fact it was locked. That meant it had to have something behind it, right? Sera picked the lock with ease. She made some sort of comments on how the ancient elves had shitty locks. Given it had only taken her a few seconds to pick it, Karliah had to agree.

Sera started to push open the door. A silver glint and a metallic click. Without thinking, Karliah pulled Sera back by her collar. She pushed her roughly to the ground and fell beside her just in time to feel a gust of air brush over their heads. Sera swore. Though Sera made no attempt to stand, Karliah kept her arm firmly across her chest to keep her down. Both elves breathed heavily for a few seconds.

Sera began to laugh, "Andraste's tits that's a big axe."

Karliah rolled onto her back to stare at the slowly swinging pendulum. Had there not been century's worth of dust built up in its hinges, she would not have been able to get them out of the way in time. Though Sera was good at spotting traps, it would have been difficult for her to notice the trigger from her angle. "That explains why the lock was so easy," Karliah said.

"No kidding," Sera sat up when the axe had come to a stop. "Pretty sure that thing could have gutted both of us," she said and got to her feet.

Karliah stood up and approached the axe with some caution. They had gotten lucky. She was half tempted to yell at Solas for bringing them to a booby trapped temple. He had warned them though. Several times. After going through an entire hall without encountering a single trap the warning appeared to be invalid. She hated it when he was right.

Sera stepped around the axe and into the room behind it. Karliah followed. Like the other rooms it was dark. Unlike the other rooms, their footsteps echoed. Another large chamber. After lighting the torches they could see the tiled walls and domed ceiling. In the middle stood two podiums, each with a small purple stone balanced on top of them. "Those look like the rocks," Sera said.

There was nothing on the walls or the ceiling that indicated the presence of another trap. No wires around the orbs or trigger at their base. Odd. "You see anything?"

"Yeah. I see the fucking orbs we need. Let's just grab them and go," Sera approached one of the podiums and examined the base. She could not see any sign of a trap either. She gestured for the Inquisitor to go to the other podium. "Here's what I think we should do. When I say 'go', we grab them and run."

"Just like that?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

The red haired elf thought for a moment. She placed the torch on the floor. She knew could not carry both the orb, the torch, and her staff at the same time. She poised her hand over the purple stone, "On your mark."

Sera hooked her bow over her shoulder. Her hand hovered over the adjacent orb. "Ready…Go!" The two elves snatched the orbs off of the podiums.. Something clicked. Not a good sign. Sera laughed as they ran past the axe and into the hallway. When there was a crashing sound, Karliah wanted to look back but she resisted the urge. They kept running. The crashing ceased. Whatever trap they had set off must have finished firing.

The central room was still lit with torches. They stopped in front of the dusted statue of Fen'Harel, trying to catch their breath. The women looked at one another and began to laugh. "I can't believe that fucking worked," Karliah said.

"All this for a pair of balls!" Sera laughed. She tossed the orb up into the air and caught it with ease. "Better be careful not to bust 'em, right? Solas wouldn't like that."

Karliah examined the orb in her hand. "Would you mind holding this one? Last time I held an orb I got a magic mark thing. Not too keen on getting another one."

The blonde elf took the second orb. They were small enough for her to hold with one hand. "Sure. Won't be wanting that. Also, I think these are the only elven balls I'm okay with playing with." She twirled them in her hand like meditation balls and laughed. " I might keep these. You think Solas would let me keep the wolf balls?"

Karliah laughed again. "I'm pretty sure you can keep the wolf balls."

XXX

The elven apostate and Qunari stopped in their tracks when they heard a loud crash. They stood still, listening. Only when they could hear Sera's giggling did they continue. If Sera was laughing then that meant no one died. That was the important part. Solas rolled his eyes, only hoping that a trap had been set off and the city elf had not blown up part of the temple. He was certain he checked the party for grenades before they left the Inquisition camp. An explosion in an ancient elven temple would have been less than desirable.

Bull and Solas had gone through the first two areas rather quickly. One just lead into a small room stuffed with unused equipment while the other appeared to have been a place of prayer. The last hall ended in a staircase to the lower levels. Solas lit the way with his staff while Bull followed behind with a torch. Bull did not want to risk losing him being without a source of light. Unlike his companions, he did not have good vision in the dark. His was average. Below average, in fact. The missing eye did not help.

The two searched through an embalming room. Long stone tables still had tools and dried herbs scattered across them. A skeletal body with its hands folded across its abdomen in eternal slumber was still atop one of the tables. "It was abandoned in a hurry," Bull observed.

"Yes," Solas replied. "In my journeys in the Fade I have seen memories of ancient elves rushing from this place. Running to defend it. The priests and mages sealed it away in a final attempt to safeguard the temple. It appears to have worked."

"Who were they protecting it from?" Bull asked. He picked up a book and blew some dust off of it. He remembered that he could not read elven. He returned the book to the table and settled for observing bottles on a shelf. Only a few of them were cracked.

"Humans. And the other elves. Do you know much about elven lore?" Solas asked, even though he had a good idea of what the answer would be.

Bull shook his head, "Nah. Been meaning to read a book or two but never got around to it. All I know is what Karliah told me this morning."

Oh the blind were leading the blind. What right did she have to educate anyone on elven lore? Especially after their conversation. Perhaps she was trying to irritate him. It would not surprise him in the slightest. "What did she say?"

"Just that place is dedicated to the Dread Wolf, nothing else. We got distracted by cleaning the statue," he replied. He picked up a bottle and listened to liquid splash around inside. "Want to take some shit from this place? Looks like there's some history here."

Well, at least she did not taint Bull's mind as well. Not that it could be tainted any further. Solas flipped open the same book Bull had looked at. There were a few diagrams of the body. A guide to embalming procedures most likely. He skimmed the text. "Perhaps, but not now," Solas said. He closed the book. If they had more time he may have liked to flip through a few others. Bull was not wrong about the place being a historical goldmine. Research was not the primary concern at that moment. If the temple had remained hidden for so long its secrets could continue to wait. It might be best if it were not disturbed again. Solas would have to think about it.

After opening some chests, drawers, and boxes in the embalming room there was still no sign of the stones. They continued onward. Down another flight of stairs. Most of the rooms along the way were small. It did not take long to search through them. Clothing, petrified foods, tools with ancient and unknown purpose. The air was damp and cool. The smell of rot was strong. What was rotting besides the wood doors, they could not see.

"So Solas," Bull said from a few steps behind. "I've been wanting to ask you about something. It's really none of my business, but since I have you alone I thought this would be a good time."

Solas continued walking. He did not turn his head when he answered, "Certainly, however I cannot promise answers. What is on your mind, my friend?"

Bull lit a wall torch. "So I couldn't help but notice that you and Karliah seem close," he said.

The elf peered into another room. Completely empty. "She is a dear friend and as the Inquisitor she sometimes seeks my counsel," Solas continued down the hall.

Bull chuckled. "I see. I'm assuming she is seeking your counsel when you're holding hands between your sleeping bags," he said.

This time, Solas turned to face the Qunari. He put some of his weight on his staff when he stood still. "If you intend to ask about my relationship with the Inquisitor, you could do so directly."

"Then tell me what's going on."

"It is none of your business, as you said."

The Iron Bull leaned against the cold stone wall. The torch in his hand lit his face from below. It was at that very moment Solas realized that Bull had a weird nose. "It became my business when I got woken up by a puffy eyed Inquisitor. I've been around long enough to know what a person looks like after they've cried."

She had cried? How had he not noticed? Was it because of what he said? "That is no concern of mine. I am here to offer the Inquisitor advice and my knowledge of the Fade—"

"And occasionally offer her physical comfort as well," Bull added curtly.

A glare. What made him think that he had the right?

Bull held up his free hand, as if to say he meant no offense. "Sorry, I meant to say 'on your terms'," he said. He knew that his approach was more aggressive than needed. He did not want Solas to weasel his way out of the conversation. He tended to be good at that.

"I do not wish to continue this discussion," Solas said. He continued down the hallway and checked into another room. Empty.

Bull ambled along behind him, "Can't really call it a discussion. This is more of a textbook example of evasive conversational tactics."

Solas shook his head. "It is none of your business."

"Oh it is, I assure you," Bull said.

The two continued through the corridor in silence for a few moments. Bull wanted to give the elf a moment to think before he continued. He did plan to continue his questioning. Something was not right about what he saw between Solas and Karliah. Though Karliah never said so directly, he figured that Solas had to of contributed to the puffy eyes. There had to be a reason she ignored Solas that morning in favor of waking Bull. When she had a problem she did not typically seek out his company. It was not personal, he knew that. In fact, he considered himself to be good friends with the Inquisitor. He had enough to worry about being 'mother hen to the Chargers', she had said.

In his years of working with the Chargers, he had gotten to know his men quite well. His experience as a Ben-Hassrath made him deceptively observant. It was not difficult for him to deduce that there was more to the situation than what Karliah had shared. She just claimed that she did not sleep well. A white lie just to appease him.

The two stepped over a door that had fallen from its hinges. The room appeared to be a place of ritual. Decorated cabinets lined the back wall. There were grooves in the floor that lead to a small drain. Solas started around the perimeter of the room and observed the chipped paintings on the wall. "It is fascinating that even the color remained on the walls," he commented.

"You're not changing the subject," Bull replied.

Solas sighed. "I ask you to respect my decision to not continue this conversation," he pleaded.

Bull shrugged, "Fine then. You don't need to say anything. I'll keep talking."

Solas found himself wishing that he had gone to explore with Sera. She would get bored with his ambiguous replies. Bull simply recognized that he was avoiding the conversation and continued to pry. How the man became a Qunari spy, Solas did not know.

He watched as Solas started through the cabinets. "This is what I know. Karliah has it bad for you. That poor girl can barely keep her eyes off of you, and you know that. Don't you?"

Solas did not reply.

"You look at her too. I've seen you take a quick peek when she's changing. So there's physical attraction on your part. Or , you're not the only person who thinks that the Inquisitor is a fine piece of ass. Don't be embarrassed. I've even seen Cullen take second looks."

A jar in the cabinet suddenly became very fascinating to Solas. He did not say a word as he turned it around in his gloved hands. Dust covered the pottery like most objects in the temple.

Bull took a few steps towards the back wall. "The point is, sometimes you reciprocate and sometimes you don't. There's a hot-cold thing going on. She doesn't understand it and you seem indifferent to it all. It looks to me like you're trying to take advantage of her."

Still no response.

"I don't know what you gain from messing with her, but you need to make a decision. Tell her soon that you don't want a relationship, or pursue it. I don't care either way. You guys could just continue being fuck buddies or whatever and that's great. Use her for a quick fuck, wonderful. Heck, if I were you I would jump on the opportunity to hook up with someone half my age—"

"I have not slept with the Inquisitor," Solas said firmly.

"That's not my point. My point is, make a choice. Either you pursue or you don't. Stop fucking with her head," Bull said.

Solas turned around, "Have you considered that I'm not messing with her?"

Bull paused. "Yes, but that's not an excuse—"

"If I was not interested in Karliah I would have said so," Solas stated and stood to meet Bull's gaze. If he gave the man a bit of information, perhaps he would leave him in peace. Bull was persistent. More avoidance just meant more pestering. "You caught me. I care for her a great deal and I don't know what to do about it. You are witnessing my uncertainty and nothing more. Are you happy now?"

He was not. "What do you want to do?" Bull asked.

Solas looked away. "That is none of your business."

Bull decided to let it drop. He had at least gotten something out of the man. It would be beneficial to both Solas and Karliah that the discussion had taken place. Someone had to hold Solas accountable for his actions. If Bull had to be that person, then so be it. It was possible there was something more going on than a confusing romance. If Solas was interested in Karliah for her or even just for her body, then fine. Bull did not care. What he feared was if Solas was just fascinated with the mark on her hand, her power, her ability to walk the Fade. If he was using her, then there was going to be a problem.

Even with Solas's confession, he was not sure if he should believe him. He had given up too quickly. However, there was no reason for him to pry any further. "Let's find those rocks and get out of here."

XXX

Gray eyes stared into sage green ones. The two elven women sat cross-legged with their knees touching. The shadow of Fen'Harel's statue loomed over them. Silence as they stared. A small smirk on the blonde one's lips. The smirk grew when the Inquisitor squinted. Karliah took a deep breath and continued to stare. She tried looking at Sera's nose and the freckles on her cheeks. It didn't work. Shit. She was not going to last much longer. The Inquisitor blinked.

"Ha! You lose!" Sera exclaimed and finally allowed herself to blink.

Karliah shook her head. "Ugh, so I did. Do I really have to do to?"

"Yes!" Sera handed her one of the orbs.

Karliah took the orb in her unmarked hand. She did not want to risk sneezing and sending it into the Fade. She really needed to ask Solas more about how the mark worked. She was convinced that it was the reason all of her pens disappeared. Somewhere in the Fade there was a stash of lost Inquisition pens. She should have looked harder at Adamant.

She stared at the dusty orb that now had both hers and Sera's fingerprints on it. "Do I really?"

Sera chuckled, "Yes. You got to. You lost. Honor of the bet! Got to hold it there for at least a minute. Each one!"

Karliah grimaced. The more she thought about it the grosser it would seem. With a swift movement she stuck her tongue onto the orb. It tasted like dust, dirt, and Sera's dirty fingers. She stared pitifully at Sera.

Sera clapped her hands and laughed. "You should see your face!" She paused for a moment and looked past the Inquisitor. She doubled with laughter. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes.

"What's going on here?" Solas asked from the doorway. He held another oblong stone similar to the original one. Bull held the other.

"Heh Tholas," Karliah said, trying to stifle her laughter while she kept her tongue on the orb.

Sera calmed herself enough to talk. "She has to lick the balls!" She fell onto her back in hysterical giggles.

When the two men approached, Karliah just looked up from the corner of her eyes. Bull smiled while Solas wrinkled his nose. Karliah gave a shrug as if to say, 'It is what it is.' She kept her kept her tongue on the ball and sighed as if she was bored.

Solas cleared his throat. "Why, may I ask, is she licking the keys?"

Sera chuckled. "She lost the bet. We've been calling them Dread Wolf's balls since we got them. Now she has to lick them. Both of them! Get it, licking balls?" She pointed at Karliah when she put down the first orb. The blonde elf handed her the other orb. The Inquisitor sighed and plucked the second orb from her hand. "You should make out with that one," Sera dared.

"I'll do it if you hug Solas," Karliah challenged.

Sera got to her feet, "Oh that's easy. Come here Solas, bring it in." She outstretched her arms and approached him. "Don't you want to see the Inquisitor tongue the wolf balls?"

Solas dragged his palm across his face. Why? Why did that have to happen? Why did they have to happen? He kept his hand on his face a little longer than necessary. He had to hide the heat that was surely on his cheeks. He ducked away from Sera's embrace and approached the statue, "When you two are done wasting time I would appreciate it if we could put the keys into the statue."

Sera gave up on the hug. She pouted and stared at the Inquisitor. Karliah's tongue was still on the second orb. She would have make the most of it, even if the she would not make out with the orb. She kneeled next to her, "You having fun licking the wolf balls?"

"Tho muh fun," she replied, her sarcasm thick despite her hindered speech.

Sera glanced up at Solas, "So, do we put these two by its crotch or what?"

Solas ignored the city elf. Bull was able to stop laughing long enough to give the man a leg up onto the statue. He pressed the stones into their appropriate slots and they clicked into place. He gestured for Sera to give him the orb that was not being licked. She had the audacity to ask if he wanted Karliah spit on it or not. Solas snatched it from her and pressed the orb into the slot behind the statue's ear.

Karliah coughed when she pulled the second orb away, "Excuse me while I find something to get the taste out of my mouth." She said and got to her feet. She wiped the orb off on her pants while she approached the statue and handed it to Solas.

"Just snog Solas after, I'm sure he'd like that," Sera suggested. "Unless he tastes worst than dirty balls."

The elven man sighed deeply. "I am not speaking to any of you until we get back to Skyhold." That was a lie. He would probably need to speak to them. He was the only one with even half a functioning brain in the room.

Solas pressed the last orb into the statue. He gracefully slid off of the side and walked around to the front. He kneeled at the podium and removed his gloves. Calloused hands rested on the base. Magic poured into the statue. Thin blue tendrils crept up its legs and to its face, lighting its eyes. The purple stones were not visible from the ground, but their light was. Bright purple mixed in seamlessly into the blue. The purple followed the magic coils back to Solas's hands. The glowing ceased. Old tiles groaned as the statue slid backwards.

The statue did not move far. It inched away to reveal a small hole in the ground. It was deep enough that they could not see the bottom. Karliah glanced at Sera, who seemed generally unimpressed by the whole display. Bull craned his neck to try to see into the hole.

With another spell, Solas aimed at the dark pit in the earth. In less than a second a gray orb hit his palm with enough force to knock him off balance. He backed up quickly as the statue reclaimed its place over the secret container.

Solas turned the orb a few times in his hands, scrutinizing it. Yes. It was the same one. It had been untouched and safe for centuries.

Karliah took a few tentative steps towards him. Her hand reached for the orb, the magic from Solas's spell still glowed in his hand. "That looks like the one Corypheus has," she observed. "What is it?"

"Useless, most of the time," Solas replied plainly. "However, it could potentially help us. I will need time to activate it."

"That doesn't answer my question," Karliah said.

Sera groaned, "It's another magic elfy rock." She said as if that would satisfy the Inquisitor's curiosity.

"Great, now we have six rocks to lug around," Bull said. He returned to the entry room to retrieve his belongings. He needed to make room in his bag for a rock they would surely ask him to carry. Sera followed him.

The two elves stood beneath the statue, watching as the magic ebbed away from the orb. It was smooth like a pearl. It appeared to be made of the same material as the statue. "What is it, Solas?" Karliah asked again.

He turned it between his fingers. "Do you remember what I told you about foci? There were several of them, each associated with an elven god. This one is not associated with any of the gods, nor is it a foci. It was called Sahlin'durgen, the Moment Stone. The spirits in the Fade told me there was a chance that it was intact. Fortunately, they were correct."

Karliah frowned. "That doesn't tell me what it does," she said. He had promised that the retrieving the artifact from the Exalted Plains would not be a waste of time. If they had come all the way from Skyhold and she had to lick a dusty orb for the sake of a pretty rock, she was going to be furious.

"When this is activated, it will show us where other foci are. But only the active ones. When one is activated, the orb will light up in its direction—"

Karliah's eyes widened, "And Corypheus's orb is an active foci." She gasped. "This thing will point to Corypheus."

"Precisely. If memories of this artifact in the Fade are correct, it should follow the orb. Its light will brighten when it is activated and dim over the course of a few months. When it is far away, we will see just a dot and when it is close, the whole thing should light up." Solas explained with the smallest hint of a smile on his lips.

Her foot tapped his when she stepped closer. He glanced up from the orb and met Karliah's gaze. There was no anger in her eyes anymore, yet they were still puffy. Her warm hands wrapped around his, holding the orb between them. Her eyes were locked onto his. What Solas had done would help the Inquisition. Just knowing where Corypheus was would ease the minds of those at Skyhold. Her chest bubbled with joy, "Have I ever told you that you are an incredible man?"

Apparently the stone also had the power to make Karliah forgive him. Solas chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers. "A few times," he replied.

Her hand crept up his edge of his sleeve. Gentle fingers wrapped around his wrist, "And can you tell that I kind of want to kiss you right now?"

Carefully he held the orb with one hand. There was a heat in his chest. Joy. His free hand cupped her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. "Might need proof of that," he said. He tilted his head slightly. Her warm breath was sweet on his lips.

"Ugh!" Sera made a gagging noise when she reentered the room. "I was kidding about the snogging bit!"

After he heard Sera's outburst, Bull ambled back into the room as well and stood beside the blonde woman. Solas and Karliah had put some distance between one another. A blush on her cheeks. Both avoided the gaze of judgmental gaze of the city elf and the Qunari. "Do you two want some alone time in the temple?" Bull teased.

Solas sighed and wished that Sera had waited another few seconds at least. He looked up to the statue. "We need to get the other stones down before we go," he said. "Bull, a hand?"

A knowing smile tugged at the corners of Bull's lips. "You got it."


	7. Chapter 7

Amber yellow faded to plum purple to indigo. The sunset seemed early that day. It was difficult to keep track of time while on the road. The horses were retrieved from the Inquisition camp shortly after Solas resealed the temple. The cliffs drew together to hide it the same way they had found it. Just a round stone indicated its presence. It was best that way, Solas said, it should remain hidden.

When the sun has fully set, they decided to set up camp under the stars. There were no Inquisition bases nearby that they could occupy. However, with the supplies the horses carried they could make do with what they had. Small tents, sleeping bags, a fire, and clear skies was all they needed. The weather was warm enough and the wind was minimal. Sleeping in a clearing with just the trees and moonlight to guard them was good enough for that night. Wolves howled in the distance. They tied their horses to the nearest tree so the wolves would not be tempted to make a snack of them. The wolves would not come that close to people.

Karliah and Sera set out to find dry wood and sticks for a camp fire. Though they did not need the heat, a fire was comforting. Bull and Solas stayed in the clearing to arrange the camp. Not that there was much to arrange. They only had two tents, big enough for one person each. Bull and Sera had dibs on them since they did not want to go to the elven temple in the first place. It was only fair.

Sera managed to shoot a hare while collecting firewood. She carried the kill over her shoulder by its feet. She needed meat, she said. It was just sitting there begging to get shot so she shot it, she said. Karliah prepared the meat quickly. It was a daily chore for her when she lived in the clan. She had kind of missed it, not the blood and guts, but the cooking part. The meat roasted over the fire while they munched on the bread they had packed. The fire cackled and cicadas chirped.

They ate in silence for the most part. There was a mumbled 'thanks' to Karliah for preparing the meal. Apparently Sera was not the only one who was craving fresh meat. It was nice to have a full belly after a long day on the road. Sera turned in for the evening shortly after eating, claiming to be tired. Bull went to bed as well and made a comment about how he did not want to be a third wheel.

Karliah poked at the fire with a damp stick, moving the logs to keep it burning bright. The smoke and heat made her eyelids feel heavy. She watched it, trying to catch a glimpse of figures in the flames the same way a child would find shapes in a cloud. She could not make out much. Her clan's Keeper was better at it. Children challenged him to tell stories based upon what he saw in the camp fires. It was one of Karliah's favorite things to do when she was young. She would sit beside her brother and Nairo, along with other children in the clan. They listened to the wild, twisting, stories their Keeper came up with, giggling as it changed. Once her brother threw water on the fire. The Keeper ended the story abruptly with, "Then everyone died." She smiled at the memory.

There was rustling behind her when Solas set up his sleeping bag. She glanced over her shoulder, noting that he had set his bed beside hers. Whatever ill will there was before seemed to have dissipated. She let out a long breath, "Solas?"

"Yes, vhenan?" he replied.

She twisted drawstrings of her bag around her hand and got to her feet. "Do you have a moment?" She asked. She took a few steps past him, looking at him and then at the surrounding forest.

Solas followed after her, "Certainly. We should not stray far." He cautioned. It would be unwise to leave the fire unattended while Bull and Sera were in their tents. A light could be seen from under the entrance to Bull's tent. Still awake. The camp should be fine.

They walked into the forest a short distance. She did not want to be overheard. Although she found her friend's prying amusing most of the time, she needed to be serious. At least at that moment. Leaves crunched under their feet. "I have been meaning to talk to you about what happened at the temple," Karliah began.

Moonlight seeped through the trees and speckled the ground at their feet. "Yes, I am sorry. What the Dalish believe and what I have witnessed in the Fade contradict one another—"

"Solas," Karliah interrupted softly. "I am the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I was upset because," she rubbed her eyes and tried to put together the words. Usually they just came to her. She did not have to think of what she was going to say and the words came out fine. Not with Solas. It was different with him.

"You thought that I was speaking of you when I spoke of the Dalish?" he tried. He stopped and leaned against the trunk of a thick tree. They were far enough away from the camp. There was no need to go deeper into the woods.

Karliah turned faced him, only a couple paces away. "Yes. I know you were not. I am sorry. I know that the Dalish are wrong about a lot of things. It just felt like you were blaming me for being misinformed."

Solas watched her face. When their eyes met she looked away and stared at her feet. "I admired the fact that you work to correct it," he said. "There is so much that I admire about you, vhenan. I am sorry if I made you think otherwise."

Karliah gave a weak laugh. She did not know how to respond. She wrapped her arms around his waist, being careful not to scratch her knuckles on the rough bark. The the contents of her bag clacked against the tree. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Can we not have stupid fights like that again?"

His calloused fingers smoothed her short red hair. He clasped his hands together behind her back."I cannot promise that." He wished he could promise that, but fights happened even in the most loving relationships. There was no way to avoid it. He would do his best to prevent them. If it meant he could hold her like in that moment... he willed the thoughts away. Careful. He could not let his heart get the better of him.

"Can we have stupider fights then?" her shoulders shook slightly with soft laughter.

He found it oddly endearing that she laughed at her own comments. He smiled and held her tight, "Would you like to argue about Orlesian politics next time?"

"If we are deciding what to fight about next, we might as well set dates."

"How does a week from now at breakfast sound?" he joked.

"I'll be sure Josephine adds that to my calendar," she pulled away from the embrace. She intertwined her fingers with his with her free hand. She twirled the drawstrings of the bag that still dangled from her wrist. "So I might have swiped some whiskey from the Inquisition camp, I was hoping that you would share it with me," she smiled. "We could sit by the river, watch the water for a bit. Just enjoy each other's company?"

The offer was tempting. He was not sure if he should be allowed to have such private time with the Inquisitor. His heart beat in his chest, drowning out any protesting thoughts. There surely was no harm in indulging her. If his senses returned to him, he could claim that he wanted to check on the horses. Or some other excuse. He would think of something. "Did you take the whiskey with the intent of sharing it with me?"

She tugged at his hand and began to lead him towards the river. "Perhaps. I've never had a drink with you before, can't say I wasn't thinking of you when I filled my flask," she said.

The river was not far. They tended to set up most of their campsites near some source of water. At the river bank they could no longer see the glow of the campfire through the trees. Trickling water and the sound of cicadas. It was just the two of them and the night sky. A boulder at the river bank disrupted the slow moving water. Karliah slid off her boots and socks and placed them well away from the water. She climbed up the boulder as if she had done so a million times. It came with being Dalish. Solas removed the wrappings from his feet and followed after. They sat beside each other with Karliah's bag between them. Karliah dipped her feet in the water. Solas followed suit. The river was cool, but not freezing. It was pleasant.

The whiskey had been kept in a silver flask that seemed a little too large for the Inquisitor's hand. She twisted off the cap and offered Solas the first sip. The moonlight glimmered on the surface of the water. Leaves rustled in the gentle breeze. Plants in the water brushed against their ankle. There were torch bugs blinking just across the river.

Solas enjoyed the quiet but romantic atmosphere. He did not take the Inquisitor to be the sort to seek out such beautiful places. It was a pleasant surprise.

He looked down at the silver flask in his hand. He took a swig of whiskey and made a face. It burned. It had been a long time since he had hard alcohol. It immediately warmed his belly and throat. He passed it back to Karliah and tried to make his face return to normal.

Karliah giggled and copied him. She wrinkled her nose and began coughing. It definitely had a bit of a bite to it. The two elves laughed at one another's response to the strong whiskey. Karliah took another sip before handing it back to Solas. "I dare us to finish it tonight," she said.

Solas shook his head, "that sounds like a terrible idea." He sipped at the flask again. Still strong after the first swig, but not as bad. Perhaps it numbed his tastebugs. "Could you imagine going all the way back to Skyhold with a hangover? Riding on horseback gives me a headache without alcohol."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "There you go again, being reasonable," she said.

"One of us has to be," he leaned his head against hers. Her hair tickled his ear but he did not mind. It was nice to spend a moment of peace with her. The scent of her soap had long since faded. He was certain he did not smell like his soap anymore either. Days without bathing and riding horseback would do that. As far as he could tell, neither of them smelled wonderful. Not terrible either. They could bathe when they returned to Skyhold. Separately of course.

He asked her more about the boy she knew. The one who was executed after a spirit possessed him. She did not have answers to every one of his questions. She knew enough to give him a bit of insight into the nature of the spirit. It was a gentle spirit. The possession came about as a mutual agreement. The spirit inhabited the Nairo's body and watched his world with quiet fascination. On occasion, the spirit used the boy as a mouthpiece. Yet it never tried to trick someone into thinking it was the boy talking. The boy and the spirit were their own beings. Beings that happened to share a physical body.

Karliah had only spoken with the spirit once before the boy was executed. It told her that it was a spirit of truth. It sought out those hurt by lies, deceit, and uncertainty. It offered them the comfort of knowing what happened, even if the truth was more painful that the lie. It told her that it helped more people when it possessed a mortal body. It had hopped between bodies for thousands of years. Not every person in pain could be reached through the Fade, it said. Solas deduced that it was most likely a spirit of Compassion or Wisdom who had found a subject that interested it. He was not sure if a spirit could embody the ideal of truth.

The story went on. The spirit sensed the distress of one of the clan's elders. He had lost his daughter unexpectedly. It tried to offer the elder comfort in with the truth, but it only angered the man. It told the man things that he did not want to hear. Things that could hurt the clan. Things that hurt the elder. The elder deemed the spirit, and thus the boy, dangerous. They did not know how to get rid of the spirit without hurting the boy as it was part of the boy. After some deliberation, they decided to have him executed for the future safety of the clan. Death by wolves. The wolves would deal with the mortal body. Fen'Harel would deal with the spirit, they claimed.

Solas listened without a word. He did not mention that the Dalish were wrong. Karliah beat him to saying it that time. She did not want to bicker with him over the Dalish again. He was not in the mood to do so either. He took another swig of the whiskey. He could feel the alcohol affecting him. The whiskey loosened the knots in his stomach. It seemed like he could breathe easier.

Cold fingers laced with his. "The spirit caused so much trouble. When Nairo was executed, my brother ran away a few days later. He said he couldn't live with such 'savages'. We never found him. For a long time I blamed the spirit for the loss of my boyfriend and my brother. I realize now it was not its fault," she said. "If it was not for the spirit, I would not be here now. They surely would have sent Malborn or Nairo to the Conclave, they were older and more politically savvy than me."

Solas turned her hand over in his and traced the mark on her palm. "I did not know you had a brother. I am sorry for your loss."

"It was years ago. If it hadn't happened, then I would never have met you," she said to change the subject. She smiled up at him.

He chuckled, "I am not sure if that's a fair trade off."

Her thin arms wrapped around the older elf, "You give yourself too little credit. You are the most fascinating man I have ever met. I would not trade you or your stories for anything."

"You are too kind," he said. He rested his hand on the small of her back. The warmth of her back contradicted her cold hands. He felt her heat against him when she snuggled closer. Part of him wanted to pull her onto his lap, have her be as close as possible. Feel the warmth of her entire body against his. He resisted. He kissed the top of her head and thanked her for helping him find the orb.

Her embrace tightened briefly. Karliah nuzzled his shoulder and breathed a comfortable sigh.

Solas smiled at the small elven woman. His hand moved to her waist and he held her. "_Da'vhenan_," he whispered and kissed her head again.

Warm lips pressed against his neck. "I've noticed that you've been more affectionate with me lately," she commented. "Is that something I should read into?"

He shifted from her embrace. "Perhaps," his blue eyes met hers. He held her hand tighter. He had done quite a bit of thinking in the past few days. Even more since his conversation with Iron Bull. The Qunari had a point. Solas had to say something to her. At least let her know where they stood. He wanted her, he could not deny himself that anymore. "You have brought me so much joy and laughter. More in the past months than I have experienced in years. The thought of being without you…" he trailed off. He searched her face for the words he had lost. Her freckles offered no answer. Her pupils dilated and a small smile tugged at her lips. She was so beautiful. How could such a woman see anything in him, an old man? "I cannot promise anything after all of this is over, but I can promise now. If you will have me," he said.

Warmth filled in her chest and the heat rose to her cheeks, "'If you will have me', he says. I've imagined so many ways that this conversation would go, but I did not expect this." She smiled as she looked into his deep blue eyes. Elven eyes tended to be reflective in the dark. His were clear from her angle, only reflecting the moonlight on the water. Her hand stroked his cheek and settled behind his ear.

"What did you expect?" he said and pressed his forehead to hers. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He sincerely hoped that it was not a mistake. His promise was vague enough. It was not as though he had committed to her for life. Just for now. He could handle 'for now'.

"I'm not sure what I expected. Another argument? Or for Sera to drop down from that tree?"

"_Vhenan_, we do not have another argument scheduled until next week," he said.

This time, he had made Karliah laugh. "And you continue to surprise me," she said. She pulled away just far enough to tilt her head without bumping noses. She kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered there before mothing and the corner of his mouth. She drew away again. If he wanted more, then he would have to come get it. She was only slightly intoxicated, but she did not how his state was. She did not want to unintentionally take advantage of him. He was bigger than her so chances were that he could handle more liquor before it really started to affect him.

With on hand on her hip, his free hand slipped behind her neck. With just the slightest tilt of his head, his lips were on hers. Chaste and warm. He inhaled deeply and held her closer. Her breasts brushed against his chest. She parted her lips slightly to deepen the kiss. The water splashed against both of their feet, reminding them to be cautious. Falling into the river would not be fun. It would just be hilarious.

He could taste the whiskey on her mouth. Warm lips were slow and gentle against his. It was not heat of the moment kiss like the one they shared in the Fade or on her balcony. It was sweet, loving even. His tongue slipped against her lips for just a second, teasing, before he broke the kiss. "We should go back to the camp," he said.

Karliah rolled her eyes. "Was kissing me that gross? I know Sera made me lick the wolf balls but I thought the taste was gone by now," she joked.

Solas pinched the bridge of his nose but was unable to hide the laughter that bubbled in his chest. He had almost forgotten that incident. He kissed her forehead before he got to his feet.

"See! I knew you thought licking the wolf balls was funny!" She accused and followed after him. He offered her a hand off of the boulder, which she took.

Solas shook his head. A contradictory smile stayed on his lips. If she only knew. "It is not just that, vhenan."

She tugged her socks and boots on over her still damp feet, "Is there some story I don't know about the Dread Wolf? Something that makes it funnier?"

He simply picked up his foot wrappings. There was no point in putting them back on if he was just going to have to unwrap them again. It did take a bit of time to wrap them correctly after all. "No, it is not that."

"Was he a eunuch?"

This time, Solas rolled his eyes. "Not that either."

XXX

Thick clouds rolled across the night sky from the east. Despite the darkness, she could tell they were storm clouds. The air was muggy that day. Now she knew why. She had changed out of her armor early as it was uncomfortable to wear heavy armor and metal in humidity. Yet she was thankful for the oncoming storm. It would give them a chance to replenish Skyhold's drinking water supply. The soldiers would set out containers to catch the rainwater when it started drizzling.

Cassandra rested her elbows on the battlement walls and observed how the clouds cast a shadow on the mountains. The sky to the west was still clear. There were even stars. She took a deep breath and enjoyed the clean evening air.

There were footsteps on the stairs behind her. They were steady and light. It was strange to hear his footsteps now. Perhaps he truly was becoming more human as he said. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten, Cole," she continued to stare out into the distance. The snow was beginning to melt, she noted.

He stood beside her. He had removed his hat due to the humidity. His hair seemed to be fluffier than usual. Had he bathed? There was an unmistakable scent of mint about him. "They are angry. Rumbling, roaring, rage rampages inside them. Rain riots but brings life. I like the rain," Cole said.

Cassandra made a face and glanced at him. "You are talking about the clouds?"

"Do you not hear them?"

"No. I do not. Not yet," she stated. Sure, should would hear them if they thundered. She did not hear whatever he was referring to.

Cole leaned against the wall and mimicked her posture. "Wet socks, shivering, so cold. Anthony puts your socks above the fireplace. We share a blanket. Frozen feet under fleece."

Cassandra let out a long sigh. "Please do not talk about Anthony," she was beginning to regret her decision to invite him to the battlements. She had wanted to talk in private. There had not been a chance to speak with him since the evening they spent together with wine and earwigs. Wine… and earwigs. It was an odd combination. Yet, she thought back to that night with fondness. She remembered them stepping over a sleeping drunkard in the tavern on their way to Sera's room. Cole insisted that they at least sat the man upright before they left. They gave him an earwig to keep him company. Cassandra put a pitcher of water out for him as well, which made Cole happy.

He had walked her back to her room. Laughing with her over what Sera's reaction would be to the earwigs. Would she be shocked? Disgusted? Angry? They were too drunk to stop laughing long enough for an actual conversation. Each sentence was interrupted with giggles. Her throat was sore the next morning from the laughter. She could not remember the last time she had allowed herself to have such fun. To her surprise, she did not regret it. Even with the awful hangover she had the next day, she found herself glad that she had spent that time with Cole. Cole. The demon, spirit, whatever it was. He was. She still had to remind herself that he was, in fact, a young man. Not just a spirit.

Cole looked at her profile from under his blonde lashes. He noted the scar on her face. It did not tell him a story. He picked at a loose thread on his glove. "You are uncomfortable, why?"

She met his eyes, noting that his pupils were bigger than most. It made him appear so childlike and simultaneously surreal. "I wanted to thank you. For not telling Varric, or anyone, about what happened that night," she said.

"I told you I would not tell," he replied.

"I did not believe you. I am sorry." She shook her head and let out a short laugh, "Varric has been asking me about what happened. He was so distressed when you would not tell him. He came up with the wildest stories."

Cole smiled. "You are happy now. I like it."

"He followed me half the day,asking me about it. It was amusing. I do not think I have ever gotten the better of Varric before. Did he bother you about it much?" she asked.

The blonde man continued to pick at his glove. "No. Sour stomach, head hurting, hexed. He was worried, mind wandering, winding, whirling."

She did not know exactly what he was saying. "You had a hangover too?" she tried.

Cole looked at her. "You felt that?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, Cole. I did. It was not bad though," she assured. They stood in silence for a moment. Cassandra could not help but notice the look of guilt on Cole's face. A slight frown and downcast gaze. "It was not your fault."

"I gave you the wine," he said.

"And we both drank it. We know next time to stop after one bottle," she said with a small smile.

"Next time?"

Cassandra could almost see the excitement in his face. She did not know he was so expressive. It was almost endearing after hanging around stoic soldiers. "I enjoyed our conversation, Cole. You are different from what I anticipated. If you would like to spend time together again, I would be happy to do so," she said. She kneeled down and reached into a bag that Cole had not noticed before. She pulled out a small wooden box with fancy lettering on it. "Josephine gave me these macaroons. There was an extra box. If I do not share them then I will eat them all myself."

Cole eyed the box curiously. "I have never tried a macaroon."

Cassandra opened the box and carefully picked one out for Cole. They had pink cupcake wrappers separating them. It was cute. "They are coconut. Have you tried coconut before?"

The blonde man shook his head. He took the treat from her hand carefully, trying not to wrinkle the wrapper. It was round, covered in white flakes. He thanked her quietly.

They talked about the events of the day while they munched on the small pastries. Cole decided that he liked macaroons. He could see why Cassandra could eat the entire box. Cassandra told him that she had made arrangements for scouts to find the location of the missing Seekers. Less work for the Inquisitor meant that she was more likely to help her out. Perhaps she could bring Cole with her instead. No. That would end badly. The Inquisitor needed to be there to ensure peace.

Four figures could be seen in the distance. Despite how far away they were, Cassandra had could tell that it was the Inquisitor and her comrades. Iron Bull had a very distinct silhouette.

Cole and Cassandra watched as the far off figures approached Skyhold. They continued to eat their macaroons on the battlements. The Seeker looked to her companion. His pale skin and blonde hair appeared almost white until the light of the moon. His complexion had cleared up after Dorian had given him a salve for his face. Perhaps when the boy finally gained some weight, he would be rather handsome. "Hopefully they will get here before the storm hits," Cassandra said. The dark clouds had loomed closer.

Cole just nodded. "A stray puppy, fur stretched over bones. So sad, sweet, sickly stray. You thought it should leave. But it stayed. The puppy is a spirit," he looked at her. "I am not a puppy, Cassandra. I do like puppies though."

Cassandra felt heat rising to her face. "Haven't I told you not to do that," she scolded. It was one thing for him to pick up when she was troubled, it was another when he heard thoughts about himself. Especially when they were not her typical thoughts.

"You like me now, but you didn't before. I'm glad," he took a small bite of the pastry and chewed.

A sigh. "That is true. I misjudged you."

"You aren't as mean as everyone says. Just scared," Cole commented.

Cassandra frowned. Not knowing what else to do to get Cole to stop talking, she handed him another macaroon. At least he did not talk while he chewed. He had more manners than most of the soldiers. She watched as the figures in the distance drew closer. She was eventually able to distinguish Sera, Karliah, and Solas from one another.

When they were only a mile or so away from Skyhold, Karliah and Sera rushed off ahead on their horses. "They're racing," Cassandra said. "I bet you that last macaroon that Sera will win."

"Do I get it if Karliah wins?"

"Yes."

Cole smiled. "You can have it anyway."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey, I just realized I haven't been posting my author's notes here. Oops. Anyways, I can't really tell if anyone is really reading this so I don't know if I should continue posting on FF and Ao3 or just Ao3. Let me know if there's any opposition!**

The storm hit Skyhold mere minutes before the Inquisitor returned. Raindrops fell to the earth hard and heavy. Each large drop bit at the skin as if it were hail. Solas, Sera, and Karliah welcomed the warmth of the fireplace in the main hall. Bull had not bothered to join them and claimed that he needed to get a drink with Krem. He went to the tavern after putting his horse in the stables.

A servant brought towels and blankets for the sopping wet elves. Sera had ruffled the towel through her hair before sitting in front of the fireplace. She unlaced her wet boots and pressed the towel against her pant leg. The rain had soaked through them to her socks. She set leather boots next to the fireplace. Karliah sat beside her, hair just as messy and feet just as wet. The two elven women leaned against each other for warmth.

Leliana, Dorian, Cassandra, and Cole joined them in the main hall. Most of the usual occupants of the throne room had retired for the evening. After all, the throne room tended to be uneventful when there was no one to judge. The few present members of the Inquisitions inner circle gathered around the fire. Curious eyes followed Solas as he unpacked the bags that held the elven artifacts.

Solas kept a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The rainy ride and strong wind had left him chilled. He placed the stones on the rug in front of the fireplace. Sera poked at one of them with her toes and laughed when it rolled away. Solas just sighed and replaced the object.

"So you found more of them," Dorian commented from his seat on the couch.

Leliana sat with her legs tucked under her. Her interest was not in the purple stones in front of the fireplace. Rather, her attention was drawn to the gray orb in Solas's hand. "What are all of these, exactly?" she asked. She pointed at the orb, "That one looks a lot like the orb Corypheus carries."

Solas held the orb to the light. "It is related to the one Corypheus has, yes. Not quite the same."

"It's like Coryphe-shit's orb's weird uncle," Sera added.

"Colorfully put, Sera," Solas said. He passed the orb to Leliana and Dorian to look over. He explained to them how it worked. If they could get the gray orb activated, it would point in the general direction and location of other active orbs. Therefore, it would point in the direction of Corypheus. He explained that the other pieces served as the keys to access the orb's location. He kept them because he planned on returning the orb when they were finished. He would hide the pieces of the key himself. He could not risk it falling into the wrong hands at a later date.

The elven man asked for Dorian, Leliana, Cassandra, Cole, and Sera to each take a key to watch over. If it was discovered that the keys were in Skyhold, at the very least they would not all be in the same chest or room. His caution was most likely unwarranted, but he could not afford to make another mistake. He would keep the gray orb himself. Sera insisted that Cole and Dorian had to take the wolf balls. Confused, they accepted the smaller purple orbs.

Leliana placed the oblong stone in her lap. "When do you think you can activate the orb?" she asked.

Solas replaced the gray orb in his bag. "I will start trying tomorrow. Far away from Skyhold. I do not know what sort of power this orb will release upon activation."

"We don't need another explosion. The Conclave was enough," Cassandra muttered.

Leliana nodded in agreement. "Let me know if there is anything we can do to help. The orb could prove to be an invaluable resource for the Inquisition."

"Ey egghead, are you saying that thing in your bag could go 'boom' like at the Conclave? So if you did your magic business to it, wouldn't you go 'boom' too?" Sera asked. Surprisingly, she seemed concerned.

Cole looked at Solas with wide eyes. "Please don't blow yourself up."

"If it is activated correctly, it should simply start working. If not, then I am not sure what would happen," Solas replied. It was meant to be reassuring. It was not.

Leliana stood up and straightened her tunic. "If you do not know how to activate it, do not risk it until we are able to get more information. We should consult other experts in the field. While I do not doubt your abilities, Solas, it may prove useful to have alternative perspectives." The spymaster reasoned.

"How long will that take? I am sure that there are spirits in the Fade that know how to activate it. I could start experimenting as soon as tomorrow," Solas said.

"A few more days at most. Activating the orb incorrectly and blowing up Skyhold is a risk I do not want to take. However if you are insistent on trying, I suggest you give the orb to me for safekeeping," she said. She held an open palm out for the orb.

Karliah looked from the spymaster to the apostate. Leliana had a point. If there was any chance at all that the orb would explode, then it was best to wait. Even though she trusted Solas, she could not risk him blowing himself up. Given how eager he was to activate it, it was possible that he would do something rash. "Solas, give it to Leliana for now. Please," she said.

Solas glared at her, "is there something you would like to say, Inquisitor? Do you not trust me?"

"It's not that. I just don't want you to get hurt. If something goes wrong when you try to activate it, I'm not sure I could handle losing you," Karliah said honestly.

Dorian smiled at the Inquisitor. "See Solas, she just admitted she cares about you in front of all of these people. Don't let that confession be for naught," he smirked. He did not know why it pleased him that the Inquisitor was open about her and Solas's relationship, but it did. "Besides, if you would give me time to compile some of my notes I think I have a bit of information on this Moment Stone." The Tevinter added.

Solas frowned at the Inquisitor but placed the orb in Leliana's hand. "Keep it safe," he warned. "Dorian, would you be able to discuss your notes in the morning?"

"Of course," Dorian replied. He got to his feet and dropped the small purple orb into his pocket. "Now, I am needed at the tavern. I would be delighted if someone would brave the rain with me," he said.

Sera pulled on her still damp socks and boots. "I'll go," she said. Her soggy boots squeaked when she walked.

Cole looked to Cassandra. "I should probably go too. Would you like to join us, Cassandra?"

Dorian and Sera paused, surprised. It was not as though it was uncommon for Cassandra to join them at the tavern. It was uncommon for Cole to invite someone. They looked at Cassandra and awaited her response.

The looks did not go unnoticed. There was even a little smirk on Leliana's lips as if she were reading into something that was not there. Cassandra sighed, "I suppose I could use a drink."

"Well then hurry up," Dorian said and pushed open the door. Rain fell heavily and the individual droplets seemed to ripple like a sheet with the wind. The four stared out into Skyhold's main yard, watching the fierce downpour.

Sera, being impatient, pushed Dorian out the door. "Last one to the tavern has to buy drinks!" She said and rushed down the stairs. Dorian chased after her yelling some curses in a foreign tongue.

Cole removed his hat and placed it on Cassandra's head. "You need it more," he said and started down the stairs.

Leliana snickered. Cassandra flipped her the bird, which only made Leliana begin to laugh. The Seeker rolled her eyes and decided to deal with the spymaster later. She held the hat carefully on her head and closed the door behind her.

Leliana smiled at the two elves still sitting next to the fireplace. "It seems Seeker Pentaghast has a soft spot for our Cole," she said. She wished them goodnight and took her leave with the orb in hand.

No words were spoken between Solas and Karliah for a few moments. Karliah closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth of the fireplace. There was another sort of warmth that kept creeping into her mind but she had to ignore it. She felt a slight pang of guilt when she realized Solas was most likely not happy with her. It was true, she felt safer knowing that the orb was with Lelaina. It was not as though it was dangerous in Solas's possession. She just did not want to take the risk of him activating it too soon.

Solas did not look at the Inquisitor. He wrapped the now damp woolen blanket closer to his neck. Leliana had more means of keeping the orb safe than he did. It was for the best. Still, the sooner it was activated the better. They did not need to waste time getting more opinions. He knew how to activate it. At least, he knew what he was supposed to do to activate it. Knowing and doing were entirely different matters. Perhaps it was safer to wait. He exhaled slowly and closed his bag.

Karliah opened her eyes and noticed that his back was still turn towards her. She tilted her head to catch a glimpse of his face. To her relief, he did not appear angry. "Solas?" she asked.

He looked over his shoulder briefly and met her gaze. He turned to face her. The fire was beginning to dwindle and its light dimmed. Her knees were drawn up to her chest while she tried to retain heat. Limpid eyes were on his, searching, her pupils large. A pinkish hue colored her freckled cheeks, but he could not tell if it was from the cold or if he had something to do with it. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was the latter.

She rested her chin atop of her knees. "Would you be opposed to joining me in my chambers tonight?" she asked.

He watched as the blush on her cheeks grew. "Not at all," he replied. A chance to be alone with Karliah. Completely alone. Oh they had snuck kisses between their sleeping bags over the past few days. Tame and gentle, quiet to not disturb their companions. Even those sweet kisses left him desiring something more.

He followed her to her chambers. He did not know what to expect. He knew what he wanted, but he should not presume that she wanted the same. His heart beat rapidly in his chest when she asked him to lock the door behind them. Or perhaps she did want the same.

Rain pounded against the glass windows. Karliah went about the room quietly as she lit candles and torches with a small flick of magic. Thunder crashed in the distance, causing her to pause. "Should I light the fireplace?" she asked.

Solas wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I don't see why not. Are you cold, vhenan?"

She leaned into his touch. "Warmer now," she said. She lit the fireplace and turned away from him, smiling over her shoulder when she did so. The fire's light glowed warmly and cast long shadows across the floor. She slid her wet overcoat off over her shoulders before she sat on the floor to unlace her boots. "Make yourself comfortable," she said and gestured to his wet clothing.

Solas chuckled. "Unfortunately my sleeping clothes are in my own quarters," he pointed out. He wished he could change out of his wet clothes but that did not appear to be an option at the moment. At least, not appropriate at that moment. Maybe within the hour it would be more appropriate.

The Inquisitor stepped into her closet to change out of her wet clothes in private. Solas settled himself at the foot of the Inquisitor's bed. The woolen blanket beneath him kept her comforter from getting wet due to his still soggy cloths. He unwrapped his feet, noticing that his toes had taken on a slight purplish hue from the cold. He held his feet in his hands for a briefly to warm them. That only made his fingers cold as well. Noting how disgusting his foot wrappings had gotten, he crumpled them into his bag to the Karliah would not have to see. 'Dirty hobo feet' she had said when they first met.

The door to the closet clicked shut and Karliah took a few steps. "I'm not sure if these will fit you, but they were in my closet. They're clean and they're dry," she said. She handed Solas a loose white shirt and shorts.

Solas thanked her. "Why did you have men's clothing in your closet?" he asked and got to his feet. He snuck a glance at the Inquisitor one his way to the closet. A short, silky green slip had replaced her wet armor. He noted how the back of it plunged into a v-shape and showed her bare back. There were small red indents on her skin from where her breast bindings once were. He stepped into the closet and closed the door slightly to give himself some privacy. Who knew why? Chances were that they would see one another naked that evening anyway.

Karliah just laughed at his comment. "Why wouldn't I have men's clothing? They're comfortable. More comfortable than this at least," she pulled at her slip. It was the only other piece of sleepwear that she owned.

Solas pulled the shirt on over his head. It smelled like lavender. "These are yours?" he pulled on the shorts as well. They both fit well enough. Loose and comfortable, much like his own sleepwear.

"Swiped them from one of the troop shipments," she answered. So yes, they did belong to her. It made sense when he thought about it. Even though she was a woman, and an attractive one, she was also a soldier. Soldiers did care for fancy pajamas after a long day in armor. The pajamas she gave him were very comfortable.

He folded his wet clothes and placed them on the stones in front of the fireplace to dry. A flash of lightning illuminated the room briefly. He thanked the Inquisitor again for the dry clothes. Already he felt much warmer.

Karliah sat at the edge of her bed, not quite knowing what to do. Her stomach twisted in knots. Did he want the same thing? They could. Right then. Nothing was going to be getting in the way save for some sort of freak accident. She imagined a tornado ripping through Skyhold. That would be unfortunate. She found herself thankful for the fact mountainous regions did not allow for tornados. Her eyes met Solas's briefly and she patted the spot beside her.

The bed was more comfortable than he expected. Given how much Karliah complained that he got the comfortable one, he figured there must have been something terribly wrong with it. It was firmer than the mattress in his room, but not by much. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. For a while they just sat together in silence and watch the heavy rain through the windows.

She closed her eyes and took pleasure in the warmth of the man next to her. She wondered what he was thinking. If he felt uncomfortable. Was he just relaxed as she was? When a woman invited a man to her chambers, there tended to be a certain expectation. However, Solas was weird about almost everything. She was just happy that it did not seem like he wanted to run away. Or perhaps he did. She did not know.

She breathed a sigh and snuggled closer to him. "I'm sorry about that night in the hot spring. I shouldn't have laughed," a giggle contradicted her words. "It was really funny though."

Solas kissed the top of her head. "Think nothing of it, ma vhenan. To be fair, I've laughed at you on occasion."

Karliah smirked. "Like when I thought a phrase in elvish meant 'be right back' and it actually meant 'I need to take a shit'?"

A short chuckle escaped his lips and he held her close. "I thought you were just being vulgar until you said that and skipped away with Sera."

The woman laughed and kissed his cheek. "I would attempt to talk dirty to you in elvish but I'm pretty sure that would end just as badly."

He turned to face her as she continued to smile up at him. A smile that seemed to reach her eyes. Bright, flickering with the reflections of the candles and torches. He brought his hand from around her waist to her neck. His thumb stroked her jaw and she leaned into his touch. "Perhaps I can teach you a few phrases," he said.

The smile did not leave her lips. She held his wrist gently and pulled it away from her face. "Can you now?" she said. She got to her feet and stood in front of him.

He placed his hands on her hips, lifting her slip slightly with the touch. Whether that was intentional or not, she did not know. It most likely was. "Are you doubting my ability to teach or my elvish vocabulary?"

"Maybe a bit of both." She snaked her arms around his shoulders, subtly pushing him back. Taking the hint, he shifted closer to the center of the mattress. She positioned herself over his lap. Her knees pressed into either side of his hips, careful not to put too much of her weight on his legs.

Mischievous hands slid under her short gown and high on the back of her thighs. So it was happening. He did not get his hopes up over nothing. Either that or Karliah was the cruelest flirt. The second scenario also seemed likely. "I assure you I have experience in both areas," he said.

Karliah sat back which forced him to move his hands higher to not get in the way. Thin cotton covered her bottom. Her hands crept beneath his shirt collar and she pulled him in for a kiss. She licked his bottom lip before pulling away. Her hips pressed against his. "I'm not sure if I believe you," she teased.

Solas smiled and rested his head against her shoulder for a moment. He could feel heat pooling at the pit of his stomach. His heart raced. "Metaphors aside, vhenan," he slid his hands out from under her dress. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. He lifted his head and looked at her when he spoke. Her brow was furrowed with concern, as though she believed she had done something wrong. No, it was entirely the opposite. "If you are wanting to go further, I do have protection in my bag," he said.

"You were planning on this, weren't you?" she said and planted a kiss on his brow.

"Not 'planned on' exactly. I anticipated the possibility and wanted to be sure I was prepared," he answered honestly. He was not about to admit that he had actually had kept condoms in his bag for the past two missions. She did not need to know that.

She laughed softly. "Oh so you were thinking that you might get some action and just have them around 'just in case'?"

"Well I was not wrong, was I?" he countered.

"I could change my mind right now, then you would be," she grinned.

He chuckled, "That you could. If you don't want to—"

She interrupted him with a quick kiss. "Oh I definitely want to."

"Then we are on the same page," he said. He ran hands through her short hair and pulled her in for a kiss. Her hair was still cool and damp from the rain, but the area around his hands warmed from his body heat. Hot lips moved against his slowly, tauntingly. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and he leaned back on the mattress, pulling her with him. Not breaking the kiss for even a moment. She pressed her lower body against his. He could feel the heat between her legs.

It was selfish of him. A part of his mind tried to shout over the desires of his heart. It demanded him to stop. To focus at the task at hand. His heart dictated otherwise. He had never anticipated that the individual with power over the rifts would have power over him as well. Karliah was not what he had expected. And elven mage was enough of a surprise. The fact that she was a kindhearted, thoughtful, and wise individual caught him completely off guard. She was the Inquisitor. She possessed the anchor. These facts caused millions of possible scenarios swarmed into his head. Too many involved him having to hurt her to accomplish his personal goals.

He paused and turned away from her lips. He watched as her eyes fluttered open, her lids heavy with lust. She kissed his cheek, "Is something wrong?" she asked. Her kisses trailed down his neck to her collar bone.

"No, vhenan. Just had a thought," he said, running his hands down her sides. He noticed the slight but sharp curves of her hips. So tiny. Even for an elf.

"You had a thought? We should document this momentous occasion, what's today's date?" she teased.

Solas shook his head then smiled. "You are asking for it," he said. He quickly rolled her onto her back and pinned her beneath him.

He captured her lips again. His tongue slid against her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth. A faint taste of mint on her breath. Her tongue pushed at his playfully, as if to emphasize that she could force him out of she wanted to. Given the way she arched her back to be closer to him, it was an empty threat.

Thoughts continued to plague his mind, even with the beautiful woman beneath him. It was possible that he would have to kill her if worst came to worst. She may kill him if she were to ever find out. It was not an outcome he even wanted to consider. If their relationship was to continue, to actually mean something, then he would have to tell her the truth. Eventually. It was not as though he had purposefully lied to the Inquisitor. He just purposely withheld information. It was different.

For certain, he cared for her. He cared for her deeply. One of the only people to draw his attention from the Fade. One that made his reality better than his dreams. One that seemed to truly care for him in return. What he would not give to keep her.

No. He could not think like that. For now. He had promised 'for now'. The future could wait. Plans could change. He could end it if he needed to. It was not as though she could stop him. She would be heartbroken, yes. Not more so than himself. For now, he reminded himself. For now.

The woman beneath him broke the kiss just long enough to tug his shirt off over his head. Delicate nips along his neck and collarbone. One hand on his shoulder blade, the other low on his back. "I want you so badly," she whispered, her hot breath on his ear. She wrapped her legs around him. Her thin cotton panties pressed against his erection.

For now. He was making love to the Inquisitor.

XXX

After a pint of ale, Sera decided it was time to get changed out of her armor. She did not want dripping wet clothes in her room. The floor was slippery enough as it was. Varric waved her off. He said something about having a pint waiting for her when she got back.

Cole and Cassandra glanced at one another with tight lipped smiles. Cassandra chuckled and took a sip from her mug, shaking her head. Cole's smile just grew. He glanced over his shoulder and watched Sera disappear up the tavern stairs. She had not been in her room since they had rehomed the earwigs.

Varric glanced from the Seeker to the spirit. "What are you two grinning about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Cassandra replied and continued to sip her ale. Brown eyes glanced to Cole, curious as to how he would respond.

The blonde man shook his head. "I'm having fun," he said. He had decided to get the same drink as Cassandra that evening. It was a lighter ale than the one he had previously at the tavern. It did not sting his mouth as much, nor did it taste like chocolate. More like citrus. Cassandra claimed that the drink tasted best with oranges. He would have to bring an orange for them to share next time.

Varric sighed. "I'm not getting anything out of the two of you, am I?"

Dorian chuckled. There was something strangely satisfying about Varric being out of the loop. He had a tendency to be in the know about everyone. "You should have figure that out days ago. Perhaps they are dating," Dorian tried.

The comment was met with immediate protests from both Cole and Cassandra.

At that moment, Varric had an idea. He shrugged and finished off his drink. "You two are dating? Huh, I didn't know you two even talked to each other."

"Varric, no. It is not that," Cassandra replied quickly. A peachy hue on her cheeks and her eyes panicked from the accusation.

If Cassandra was the color of a peach, then Cole was a tomato. The red practically reached his ears. Oh no. He had meant to keep the night with wine and earwigs a secret. Especially from Varric. He was fairly certain that Varric's current idea was much worse than the truth. Cole was not entirely sure what dating even was. Except it involved handholding and kissing and spending time alone… sometimes naked. That did not fit the description of his and Cassandra's relationship. Friends. Friends that did not kiss each other. Friends that just drank wine and ate macaroons and picked earwigs out of Cassandra's underwear drawer. That kind of friendship.

The dwarf smirked at Cole. "Kid, you're red," he stated.

"No, I'm not red. I'm Cole," he took a sip of his drink. When he realized that Varric was still looking at him, he took another sip. He could let Cassandra handle Varric, right?

Both Cole and Cassandra felt a warm weight on their shoulders. Sera had returned, wearing dry clothes. She stood between the Seeker and the spirit and used their shoulders as a support. "So, I just saw something interesting while I was changing. Now, I'm not mad. Just impressed," her tone was suspiciously sweet. "Which one of you put the bloody earwigs back in my drawer?" she said more firmly.

Cassandra pointed at Cole. Cole followed her example and pointed at Cassandra. Sera stared at the two culprits. Both of them tried to keep a straight face despite their lingering blush.

Sera began to laugh. "It was both of you? Cassandra, I didn't know you had it in you!"

"It was his idea!" Cassandra defended.

Cole looked at the Seeker, slightly shocked. She had made such a fuss about him keeping quiet and then she ousted him so quickly. He assumed that he was no longer meant to keep the secret. "I was drunk," Cole said. "So was she," he added just to be a bit cruel.

"I was not!" She lied. The pinkish color was slowly returning to Cassandra's face.

Varric smirked and propped his head up on his hands. "So that's why you were sick, Kid. I should have guessed."

Dorian shook his head, "You didn't invite me? I am so disappointed."

Cassandra folded her arms and placed her head on the table. So maybe she had somewhat given Cole permission to tell their little secret. It was not a huge deal. Nonetheless, she did not want to look at Varric for the remainder of the evening. He had the most annoying smirk.

A small hand patted her back and Sera returned to the other side of the table. "Let's order another round of drinks. A toast. To Cassandra's and Cole's first successful prank."

Varric laughed and raised his mug, clacking it against Sera's and Dorian's.

"You aren't mad?" Cole asked.

"No. I love prank wars," Sera smiled. "Just have to think of what to do to get you two back."

Cole had an odd feeling that he would regret the night with the earwigs and wine.

XXX

The rain continued into the next morning. Not as heavy as the night before, but it could still be heard against the windows. The sky was dark and gray, but there was enough light crept through to know it was morning. There was still a crackle of thunder every couple of hours, but it was not as persistent as the night before.

Neither of the elves had bothered to retrieve their clothes before falling asleep. Her slip had been crumpled at the top of the bed while his pajamas had made it to the floor. Karliah curled up against him, her back to his chest.

A particularly loud thunder clap woke Solas from his deep sleep. The woman in his arms remained sound asleep, her breath gentle and steady. Solas kissed the back of her neck and her shoulders. He pulled himself closer to her sleeping form, wanting to feel as much of her body against his as he could. His legs tangled with hers. Her bare bottom pressed against his nakedness. Shameful that they had allowed themselves to fall asleep in such a state.

Yet, he did not regret it. He pressed his lips to a hickey he had left on her shoulder. Certainly she had more, but he paid attention to the one he could see. He was sure he had some love bites as well. He had not gotten the chance to look in a mirror. He hugged the woman tighter and wrapped his fingers around her thin hands.

She took a deep breath and turned around in his arms. Her forehead pressed against his. Her eyes were still closed but there was a smile on her lips. "Good morning," she greeted groggily.

"Good morning, ma sa'lath," he replied. He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

She wrapped an arm around his waist. "Of course, I had you beside me," she replied. There had been no dreams and no nightmares. Just a deep sleep in the warm arms of her lover. When she had first met the man in Haven, she had thought him a bit odd. Now, there was no one else she would rather begin her day with. His interests were peculiar and his personality distant. Yet she had been drawn to him. His wisdom. His dry and sarcastic sense of humor that a select few seemed to catch. It was charming to her. Different than the other elven men she had encountered. "Did you explore the Fade?" she asked.

"Not last night, no," he replied. "I have the most beautiful woman in Thedas in my arms. The Fade is nothing in comparison," he kissed her again.

She giggled at the compliment, a blush rising to her freckled cheeks. "You're being sweet in hopes of getting a quickie, aren't you?" she teased.

"When I could have the option of making love to you for hours? Perish the thought," he said. He pulled her on top of him and kissed and neck and collarbone. He did not miss the opportunity to get a handful of the Inquisitor's ass.

She nipped his lip in response to his hands. "Naughty," she said.

_Bang bang_!

Two loud knocks at the door. Karliah kissed Solas one more time before rolling off of him. "Who is it?" she asked. She went to find a robe, or something to keep her decent. Solas just pulled the sheets up over his shoulders. He hoped that whoever was at the door would be quick. Then Karliah could come back to bed with him.

"Leliana," the spymaster replied from the other side of the locked door. Solas heard her jiggle the handle to no avail. "Josephine tried to wake you earlier but there was no answer. It's urgent."

Karliah tied her robe together tightly and unlocked the door. Solas rolled over and pulled the sheets over his head in hopes that he would not be noticed. "What is it, Leliana? You seem panicked. W-what happened to your shoulder?"

"It is fine, Inquisitor," she sounded almost irritated. "There has been a break in."

"A break in?"

"Last night."

Solas felt as though his heart had stopped. Only one thought came to his mind. The orb.

**Author's Note: Confession time, I have never written anything smutty or anything close to smutty. That is actually the most in depth romance scene I have ever written. So if it sounded awkward, that's why. **

**Comments and feedback are always appreciated! I like to know where I can improve :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: This is the longest chapter so far. Just stay with me. Also, I'm sorry about the cat comment. It's kind of true. **

Leliana stepped around the Inquisitor and into the room. A white tank top showed that her shoulder and arm was bandaged with thick gauze. Red seeped through the material and seemed to brown in some places. The injury was at least a few hours old. "I sincerely apologize for the rude awakening, Karliah and Solas," she greeted informally. She gestured for Karliah close the door.

The door clicked shut. There was no point in hiding. Solas propped himself up on his elbows, making sure that the blanket covered him so only his chest was exposed. "What happened, Leliana?" Solas repeated.

Leliana looked to Solas and then back to the Inquisitor. "Two elves broke into Skyhold last night. Into my chambers, to be exact. They have been apprehended and are awaiting judgment."

"What were they after?" Karliah asked. She glanced at Solas, anticipating a judgmental glare. If they had been after the Moment Stone, she would never hear the end of it. After all, she was the one who urged Leliana to hold onto it instead of Solas.

Watchful blue eyes were on the Inquisitor. He was definitely judging her. He did not need to say that she should have let him watch it. The look was so obvious it was almost irritating. It was too early for his bullshit. Karliah turned her attention back to Leliana.

The spymaster handed a yellowed document to Karliah, "they wanted me to get you sign this. Without telling you first. Foolish of them, really. I resisted. That's when this happened," she nodded at her shoulder. "I was able to restrain them both until I could notify the guards. They await judgment in the main hall."

Karliah mouthed the words to herself when she looked over the document. "An annulment?" she said. She read over the contract a second time in disbelief. She noted that one of the names had been painted over. "This makes no sense, Leliana. I'm not married," she breathed a sigh and let her hand drop to her side. "Is this some sort of elaborate prank? Is it crazy Phillip again?" There had been an Orlesian noble who was desperate to meet the Inquisitor. It was creepy. She had never met crazy Phillip. Josephine had to handle him and his obsession with the Inquisitor on more than one occasion. She almost hoped it was crazy Phillip, then she could light his trousers on fire.

Solas shook his head. "Someone broke into Skyhold, for you to trick the Inquisitor to sign an annulment of a marriage? When the Inquisitor isn't married? Is that correct?" he confirmed. Had he just committed adultery with the Inquisitor. Leliana definitely could not presume otherwise, seeing their states of undress. He ran his hand over his face. Shit.

"I understand that you have a personal investment in such affairs. Given your relationship with the Inquisitor," Leliana led off. She noticed a pair of underclothes at the foot of the bed. Explains why they were dead asleep. "You need not worry about your safety. However, I do suggest that you leave the room with me. People have already gathered in the halls. One of the prisoners is quite the attraction," she smiled mysteriously. "If anyone asks, you were researching the stone this morning with Inquisitor Lavellan."

The two elves looked at one another. The morning's joy had faded away. Replaced by wandering minds and confused hearts.

Leliana turned her back to allow Solas to change with some privacy. His armor from the previous day had dried overnight. It was comfortable and plain enough that it could pass for day wear. He dressed himself and re-wrapped his feet. Karliah stood next to Leliana and gazed out the window.

Leliana did not miss the longing gaze passed between Solas and Karliah. Though she felt some sympathy for the lovebirds, she escorted him out of the room with a second thought. She immediately began a discussion with him on the stone, just to keep up the act.

The door shut and the Karliah sighed. She checked her reflection in the mirror and chuckled. Her formal attire she typically wore for judgments had a high collar, it would hid the love bites well enough. She poked at the light bruise on her neck and tried to remember the exact moment she had received it. She shook the thought and started on her make up. She could not let herself into the main hall with a blush on her cheeks.

XXX

The Inquisition's inner circle gathered on Vivienne's balcony that overlooked the main hall. Bull had saved a spot beside him for Solas. He patted a bit of railing when he saw the man in the doorway. Solas nodded his thanks and quietly took his place beside Bull. He rested his arms on the railing and looked down at the prisoners.

Two guards on either side of the handcuffed men. One was tall, large for an elf. Built almost like a human. His complexion similar to that of Dorian's. Dark hair and tanned skin. Judging by the way the Orlesian women looked at him, he was the one who was "the attraction". A handsome elf. Even Vivienne had a small smile on her lips when she looked upon the young man. It was only a little awkward that Madame de Fer seemed to be eyeing the prisoner. The other one was smaller. His skin was lighter than his companion, covered in freckles, and his hair a strawberry blonde. He was by no means unattractive. Yet, he seemed to pale in comparison to his taller comrade.

Moments later the Inquisitor emerged from her chambers. Why they did not wait to bring the prisoners, she did not know. Usually they at least let the Inquisitor decide a the time for the hearing. It had been decided without her input that morning. So be it. Karliah settled into the throne with the annulment paper in her lap.

She looked over the document once more. The chatter in the room dwindled to silence. The prisoners kept their heads down. When she finally looked at the two men, she felt as though her heart had leaped into her throat.

Solas watched as her brow furrowed and a frown came to her lips. Her tan skin paled. Any color that was once on her cheeks vanished. He closed his hand into a fist and his heart began to beat faster. Whatever it was, it could not be good.

Josephine approached with her clipboard. "Shall we begin?" she asked Karliah.

A subtle nod in response. Words could not reach her lips. The back of her head felt cold and her chest tight.

The Antivan woman jotted a note. "As you have been informed, the two men before you were caught breaking into Skyhold late last night. They assaulted our spymaster over the document in your hand after she refused to trick you into signing it. Despite our efforts, we have been unable to obtain any further information. They have resisted interrogation. Not only that, they managed to escape the cells. Twice," Josephine explained. Even her eyes seemed to linger on the taller elf.

Karliah's voice was caught in her throat. She could not appear weak in front of her advisors and their visitors. She managed a few words. "That explains the unorthodox hearing," she said.

The two men stared at the floor in silence.

"They have refused to answer anything until they spoke with you," Josephine added. She looked to the two elves and made another note. They did not seem hysterical or angry like most of the prisoners brought before the Inquisitor. Neutral faces and the occasional eye roll at the giggling nobility. The blonde one almost appeared to smile at times, as if it were a joke.

Karliah crossed her legs and laced her hands together. "Well?" She managed. It could not be. It was impossible. No. Even so she must appear professional.

The man with dark hair straightened and met her gaze. Karliah's pupils contacted to small pinpricks at the sight of his face. The Orlesian ladies fanned themselves. "You know, I was expecting a hug or at least a 'hello'," the elven man said. "Why'd you cut your hair? It used to be so pretty."

The blonde man beside him laughed audibly that time. "You're getting your ass kicked," he said.

Karliah was not amused. "Who are you and what is this?" she bit.

"You don't remember us? I'm heartbroken, after all of our history—"

"Shut up!" she snapped. The room went silent at her outburst. "Who or what are you? Both of you. And how do you know them?" she said. It had to be a trick. Shapeshifters. Demons. Skilled make up artists. It could not be them. it just could not be them. It was not possible.

Solas felt as though he had missed something. He looked to Sera, who appeared to be just as confused by the situation. She caught his gaze and shrugged a nonverbal 'I don't know'. Dorian and Varric were just as bewildered, although they seemed to know Karliah better than most.

The dark haired elf sighed and glanced at his companion. "Do you really want an introduction, Kar?" his informality made her frown.

"Certainly," she quipped.

He rolled his eyes. "You've always made things more difficult than they had to be," he muttered. He nodded to the snickering blonde elf, "Your brother, Malborn. And I'm your husband as of four days ago, Nairo." He raised his brow and watched her with a bored expression.

"Nairo is dead and Malborn went missing six years ago. Try again," she stated matter-of-factly. There was blood at the site of Nairo's execution. Her brother had left without so much of a trace. They could not have been in hiding for six years. Six years without a trace despite dozens of searches. There was something wrong.

"Kar," the blonde one called Malborn spoke. "It's me. Us. I promise."

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you." They looked like older versions of the boys she had lost years ago. No they could not be the same.

The blonde man's eyes were just as green as Karliah's and his skin just as freckled. "I know this comes as a shock, but you must believe us," he looked at the floor as though it would give him some sort of proof. A Fereldan dog statue caught his eye. The execution. The dogs. "That night. The night of Nairo's execution. I held you in my arms at the base of Mother's favorite tree, the one that had the white blossoms in spring. Your hair was still long and you asked me to braid it. We weren't allowed at the execution because they were afraid we would stop it, do you remember?"

Karliah was silent.

"You fell asleep in my arms that night," Malborn continued. "When you did, I noticed that our Keeper had returned. The wolves had come. I managed to slip away without anyone noticing. Nairo was fighting the wolves even bound. I scared them off and freed him. He had no choice but to run. I couldn't leave him alone and I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you. I'm so sorry, but you must believe us," the freckled man pleaded. Moist eyes stared at the Inquisitor.

Not a sound could be heard in the main hall after the elf's story. Sera said something about having butts to kick. Bull held her back by her collar.

A sigh. She leaned against the back of the throne. "While I want to believe both of you are alive, I cannot. Both of you could just as easily be demons who have possessed the bodies of, or took the form of two people who were close to me."

"More than one spirit cannot occupy a body. Nairo still has the spirit within him, he cannot be possessed by a demon as well," Malborn reasoned.

"The spirit is the reason we are here," Nairo added as though it provided further validation. "The contract went into effect on your birthday, four days ago. We signed it when we were young. It should have been voided with my execution. Since I survived and the document was never destroyed, we have been married for four days. The spirit insisted that it must annulled, but I did not want to see you again. I couldn't—"

"So that's why you tried to get my spymaster to trick me. An annulment would require both of our consent," Karliah interrupted. "This does nothing to prove that you two are not demons."

Malborn's sage green eyes met the Inquisitor's, "Please believe us. I am certain there is someone among the Inquisition that can prove that we are not demons."

Nairo shook his head, "Mal, the mages will still sense the spirit and-"

"And they will know that it is completely harmless," the blonde man said through his teeth.

"And they will know that it is a total asshole and they'll want to kill me too," Nairo replied.

The crowd was still silent. They did not know what to make of the two men. The conversation that transpired over the past few minutes had led to more questions than answers. Not exactly the purpose of a trial and judgment. The Inquisitor ran her hand over her face. "I want these two prisoners to go back to the cells. Madame Vivienne, Grand Enchanter Fiona, Dorian Pavus, and Solas will see to it that these men. They will determine if they are demons. Until we have more information, I cannot pass judgment," she nodded to the guards that still held the men's arms. "Take them away."

She sunk into her throne as the two men were escorted out of the main hall. She massaged her temples and let out a long breath. People began to clear out of the hall when the hearing had ended. A few of the younger women followed after the two prisoners. Karliah would have to get a bag to put over the tall elf's head.

Skyhold's most prominent mages followed after the prisoners. Solas glanced over his shoulder at the Inquisitor. Sera had rushed to her side and spoke with her with care that he so rarely saw in the city elf. Strange things never seemed to stop happening to her. He could already sense that the blonde one was telling the truth. He did not appear to be possessed in the slightest. A demon would not plead the way he had. It would try to appeal to Karliah's memories, whatever ones he had obtained from her brother, but it would not beg. Demons did not beg unless it was a last resort. The darker elf was an entirely different story. There was definitely an old and powerful spirit within him. The nature of that spirt, he could not determine from the balcony. If it was the same one that Karliah had mentioned the night at the river, it was either a benevolent spirit or a deceitful demon. A deceitful demon with the patience of a redwood farmer.

He would need to investigate.

XXX

Nairo sat cross legged on the floor of his cell. The prisoner patiently underwent any spell or test that Vivienne or Solas put his way. Malborn was quickly confirmed to be a normal elf. No demonic possession to speak of. Despite Fiona's opposition, Dorian insisted that the young man would join him for breakfast. After all, Malborn had proven that he was an excellent escape artist. He had broken out of Skyhold's cells twice. It was safer to have the elf with him rather than risk his escape. Besides, Dorian could use the time to get some fun stories out of Karliah's older brother. He was running low on material to pick on her for. Her brother could replenish his usable (albeit harmless) blackmail.

Vivienne finished casting her spell on the dark haired elf. One that caused Nairo to wince in pain, "That one stung a little," he commented.

"Good," Vivienne said, "a demon deserves no less." While he appeared to be harmless, he was still a risk. Much like Cole. Just because the spirit was calm at that moment did not mean it could not twist at the slightest irritation or opposition. Skyhold could not risk holding such a demon if it turned.

"Aw, Madame de Fer, I find your suspicion admirable but ultimately unnecessary. To bring harm to a beautiful woman like you would be a crime against the Maker. As the Maker does not make many exquisite creatures such as yourself," Nairo said with a smile.

The court mage was not amused. "Flattery will get you nowhere," she stated plainly.

"On the contrary, it gets me most places. However, with you, I'm just hoping to deter the animosity," he said and let his hands rest on his knees. "After all, a man such as myself compared to you is but a plague ridden rat beside a golden lioness. I can only hope that the lioness will spare me," he said.

Vivienne rolled her eyes, "Of course I will, I don't want the plague." She turned to Solas, "I am finished here. I will give my report to Karliah. You may deal with him as you like," she said. She turned on her heel and left the cells. The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut.

Solas sat across from Nairo, close enough that he could touch him between the bars. "The spirit that possesses you does not appear to be aggressive. I will speak with the Inquisitor to ensure that you are treated properly," he reassured. A demon would not have willingly undergone the tests that they had performed on Nairo. The spirit was quiet and cooperative. Even when the spell hurt him.

"Thank you. Madame de Fer seemed like she wanted my head," he replied.

The elven apostate could not argue with that. The appropriate action to take was to reassure the lad that Vivienne did not want to kill him. That was just not true. He decided to change the subject. "Do you mind if I ask you more about the spirit? I only know what Karliah has shared with me," Solas said.

He nodded and though he not too surprised the Karliah had spoken of him. "Of course, I'll answer what I can," he said.

"Excellent," Solas said. "Your situation is not unprecedented, yet I have not had the opportunity to meet one such as yourself." That was not entirely true. He had met others like Nairo. Individuals possessed by kind and gentle spirits. He just never had the chance to speak with them about it. It was not a subject one brought up in polite company.

He breathed a laugh, "Happy I can oblige. In this dank cell. Pleasant spot for a conversation, wouldn't you agree?"

The prisoner had a point. Yet, if Solas let him out who knew when he could get the young man alone again? The guards had to stop a young woman from sneaking into the cells to catch a glimpse of the man. "I'll let you out soon," Solas reassured. He pulled the key out of his pocket to emphasize that he had the authority to do so. "But I wish to talk first."

"Smart. I would run away otherwise," he quipped. Everyone wanted to ask a spirit of truth questions. They were never happy with the answers.

The two men talked only for a few minutes. Nairo was able to answer Solas's questions. At least he was able to the ones that had a concrete answer to speak of. Just because the spirit of truth possessed him did not mean he held answers to life's questions. It admitted that yes, it was once a spirit of wisdom. It had become fascinated by the nature of truth and decided to pursue whatever truths existed. Truth could not be found easily in the Fade. It had to be experienced through a physical form. Even then, truth was subjective.

Solas knew what Nairo meant by a concrete and subjective truth, but allowed the man to explain regardless. Though his example was less than kind. The man had a quick wit and a sharp tongue. Unpleasant when combined with brutal honesty.

"You, Solas, have pointed ears and old blood. Then it is true that you are an elf. That is concrete. But not everyone with pointed ears and old blood is an elf. There are other factors that determine what is and is not an elf. You identify as an elf, you have certain qualities, you are an elf," he rambled. He explained concrete truth again in terms of a chair and what made a chair a chair. "Subjective truth, that is different. If I looked at you and said "he's an elf" and Karliah said "no, he's a Qunari", one of us is wrong. However, if I were to say that you looked like a bald cat that's been hit with a shovel, and Karliah were to say you were handsome, we'd both be correct."

Needless to say, Solas was not too pleased with the comparison.

If Nairo noticed his irritation, he did not let it show. "Tell me, how long have you two been together? I do recognize those little marks," Nairo tapped at his own neck to show what he was referring to. "Nippy when she likes it. Makes those cute little sounds."

"Excuse me?" That was not appropriate. What made him think he had the right to share such information about the Inquisitor.

Nairo patted Solas's knee through the bars of the cell. "Aww don't be shy. She's a little devil in bed, isn't she? Did you make friends with that freckle between her legs? The one right above her sweet spot, if you know what I mean."

Solas furrowed his brow. "I would prefer it if you did not speak of her in that manner."

"Why?" Nairo sat back, his brows raised as though he was genuinely confused. "Are you feeling insecure because I'm more attractive or because I've slept with her too?" he smirked. Well if he wasn't an arrogant prick…

"Neither. You are disrespecting her privacy," Solas said. He rubbed his neck where he knew the bruise to be and pulled his collar up higher.

The younger elf let out a long breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry, I should not have assumed you two had slept together. After all she does have standards."

Solas narrowed his eyes at the elf. "She is a woman of standards, yes. After all, a woman like her would never chase after a man who looked like a, what? A bald cat did you say? Ah but my memory misleads me. Not only did she pursue me for months, she begged for me last night," Solas said.

The man chuckled. "You think of me as competition, don't you? Rest assured, I only want a divorce from Karliah. However, I do care about her and I will protect her from you. I know what, who, you are," Nairo's brown eyes stared intently at Solas. "Your lies scream in this room. Guilt weighs upon you like—" he paused. He blinked several times then looked about the room. What had happened? He had been talking. Then, nothing. He hadn't a clue what he had been going on about. "Are you going to let me out?"

Solas exhaled slowly, glad that he was able to interrupt the man's train of thought. Not only that, but do so that the man did not notice. The spirit of truth was dangerous. That he knew for certain. Not to Skyhold. But to Solas. For now, Solas could erase some of his memory. If the man continued to linger, he was sure to catch wind of the lie again.

He pressed the key into the metal lock and twisted it open. Nairo thanked him. The young elf waited at the bottom of the stairs for Solas to join him. Solas knew could not immediately remove the threat. It would be too suspicious. He had to think if a way to protect himself from the spirit. Compassion could understand why Solas kept secrets. Truth demanded openness and honesty, especially around a dangerous lie. It would not tolerate such secrets.

To avoid the spirits attention, he would have to be more careful. However, he did not know if that meant that he should avoid Karliah, or be more open. He would have to gauge Nairo's reaction. Solas could only mess with the man's memory so many times before he grew suspicious.

Nairo chatted idly behind him as they ascended the staircase. He could hear the heavy rain drops as they approached the door.

XXX

It was rare that Sera and Vivienne could be in the same room without bickering. It was even rarer that they could sit near one another without Sera doing something crude. Like making fart sounds or pulling down her pants. However, Sera was busy comforting a lump under the bed sheets. Vivienne's heart broke a little.

Without a word, the court mage closed the door behind her and cross the room. She sat at the edge of the bed and placed her hand atop the lump as well. Sera was at a loss for words which came as a surprise. She just rubbed the Inquisitor's shoulder through the blanket.

The blonde elf looked to Vivienne with unusual concern but said nothing. No words were needed. What the Inquisitor had just experienced was a shock to say the least. Even more so than the Fade and the fear demon at Adamant. It was personal. Her brother and former lover, both back from the grave, out of nowhere. It was not something that most people could take lightly. Though Vivienne would have more grace than to hide in her chambers under a blanket.

Vivienne pulled the blanket back enough to see the Inquisitor's face. She was not crying, like she had expected. She just stared ahead as though Vivienne was not even there. "My dear, if it is any consolation, they were telling the truth. Take peace in the fact that they are alive and this was not a trick."

"They let me think they were dead for six years," Karliah said, her tone numb and dull.

"And they were arse-hats for it," Sera chimed.

"I would have to agree with Sera for once," Vivienne said. She brushed the Inquisitor's hair with her fingers. "I am so sorry dear. Is there anything I can do for you?" It was so strange to see the Inquisitor legitimately upset. She always appeared to be so strong. However, she could not leave without alleviating the situation at least somewhat. There had to be something she could do. At the very least, she could not let the Inquisitor leave the room in such an emotional state.

Karliah rolled onto her back and stared up at her two friends. "It's really my brother? And Nairo? They're alive? And I'm married?"

"Unfortunately, my dear," Vivienne said. "He had the document you signed on him. It is a legal contract."

Sera looked to Vivienne with an idea glimmering behind her gray eyes. "Hey, if you freeze them in a block of ice we could hit them with sticks," she turned back to person under the blanket, "Would that make you feel better, shnookums?"

Karliah shook her head.

Sera shrugged, unbothered by the opposition to what she believed to be a brilliant idea. "It would make me feel better. What sort of piss drinking scum bag fakes their death and comes back all like 'Hi wife! I want a divorce. By the way I took your brother too'," Sera mocked in a deep, manlike voice.

"It is a lot to take in," Vivienne reassured. "But, you must chin up. Bathe. Put some make up on. I recommend that you slap them both before going about your day. It will make you feel better. You do have that orb to look into if I remember correctly."

The three women sat together in silence for a moment. Vivienne patted the Inquisitor on the shoulder once more before excusing herself. Karliah knew that Vivienne had a point. There was no use in moping around. It was just something that she would have to deal with. Just like she had to deal with everything else that was thrown at her in the past few months.

Bizarre. It was the only word that came to mind. Not even in her wildest dreams could she have envisioned those two men appearing before her throne. They were dead. They had to be. After Nairo's execution and Malborn's disappearance, neither of them were seen again. No signs. Nothing. Search parties had been set out for Malborn and they found no trace of her older brother. She had lost them both so quickly, that had been a shock. To have them back—she never could have anticipated that. She would have to confront them sooner or later. Perhaps amends could be made. They had to have a good reason for abandoning her the way they did, right?

She found herself grateful for Sera's company. What she would do at Skyhold without her, she would not know. At times, she felt like Sera kept her sane. Kept her down to earth. Reminded her what really mattered. Karliah wrapped her arms around Sera's waist and thanked her for staying at her side. It had been a long time since she had a close female friend.

"Is it too early to have a drink?" Karliah asked.

"It's never too early to have a drink," Sera replied. She got to her feet. "I'll grab some breakfast for us, yeah? We'll eat up here. I'm sure I can sneak a splash of the hard stuff in your coffee without anyone noticing. Sound good?"

The Inquisitor nodded. She would have to amend her previous thought. She was _extremely _thankful for having Sera in her life. Sera patted Karliah on the shoulder before she stepped out of the room.

Karliah pulled the blankets over her head again. Too much had happened in such a short amount of time. Just as she thoughts things were taking a turn for the better. Getting blindsided by her past was not something she had anticipated. Sure, she was thankful that they were both alive. Furious that both had lied to her. Avoided her. Hid from her. Hours of crying wasted on those two men. Not now. There was too much that she needed to focus on to be concerned with these past ghosts. The assassination plot with the Empress, for example. Corypheus. She groaned and pulled the blankets closer to her.

Until a couple hours ago, she would have thought her life was finally getting on track. With the orb, they could locate Corypheus. If they could locate Corypheus, then there would not be another surprise attack like the one at Haven. It was one less disaster to worry about. Solas had decided to finally stop flip flopping and give her a chance. It was silly. He wanted to see where things went. He was giving her a chance. Just the thought made her smile and it was foolish. She was the Inquisitor, not some sort of lovelorn lady in waiting.

And she was apparently married. That seemed to just be the icing on the cake. She was married to a man that she thought to be dead. Technically, she had committed adultery. She knew people had to of noticed Solas leaving her bedroom with bruises on his neck. News would be circulating through Thedas in a matter of days. As if the Chantry did not have enough reasons to hate her already.

Another knock on the door. "Inquisitor," Solas used her formal title. She did not reply but instead pulled her pillow into her nest of blankets. The door opened and light footsteps approached. Quiet when he walked, graceful and animal-like. He would make a decent hunter, she noted.

His warm hand on her shoulder and then a weight on her bed. "_Ma vhenan_," he had meant to comfort her, but did not know what to say. He pulled her blanket back and pressed a kiss to her freckled shoulder. He just knew that he wanted to be there for her.

Karliah glanced up at him. His icy eyes had softened, a concerned frown on his lips. She wrapped her arms around him, urging him to lay beside her. He obliged with the slightest smile. They lay across from one another, eyes locked and hands intertwined. "I'm sorry about this, Solas."

With his free hand, he pushed her hair away from her forehead. "For what? You could not have anticipated this," he said and let his hand rest on her cheek. "I presume that Madame Vivienne delivered our findings?"

The Inquisitor nodded. "They were telling the truth," she said.

"Yes. And Nairo is still possessed by a spirit of truth. From our brief conversation, he seems to be unable to lie even if he wants to. Either that or he's a real asshole," Solas said, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. He did not know why the Inquisitor found it funny when he swore, but she did.

Karliah chuckled, "And apparently I'm married to that asshole."

He kissed her forehead. "I know, _vhenan_. Which is why I wanted to speak with you now," he stroked her cheek. "I am sorry, this must be said now—"

Karliah squeezed his hand. "Solas, please do not make my day any worse. Please," she said.

"I'm sorry," he pressed his lips to hers but she turned away. "Until the annulment is sorted, we should not be seen together unprofessionally. I do not want to risk your reputation any further. Once I leave this room… I don't know how long it will be until we can lay together like this again," he explained. His thumb brushed against her lips. "May I? I will miss this in the coming days."

"Just kissing, nothing else?" she pulled herself closer to him. Her hands rested low on his back and her legs tangled with his. She pulled the blanket over both of their heads kissed him deeply. His arms tightened around her waist. He nipped at her lower lip when she pulled away for air. They laughed and kissed again.

Warm and tender. Bodies pressed together as closely as possible, savoring one another's warmth. His warm breath on her cheek for a moment, kisses trailed to her ear. "There is more that I will miss," Solas reassured. He gently bit at her earlobe which made her laugh.

She slid her hand up the back of his shirt. "We should do more than just kissing right now, while we have a chance," she offered.

"No! No you shouldn't!" Sera said when she reentered the room. "You two didn't even close the bloody door!"

Solas and Karliah backed away from each other. Eyes wide like two children caught stealing from the cookie jar. There was a blush on his cheeks. Cute. Not usually the word Karliah would pick to describe Solas, but it was fitting. At least in that instance.

Sera entered the room with a tray of food in her hands and a bottle of some brown liquor under her arm. She placed the tray on the Inquisitor's desk and turned to the two elves. They still sat as far as they could from one another on the mattress. "Shoo, Solas. We have girl stuff to do," she made a gesture as though she was brushing him towards the door. "Normally, I would say 'you got ten minutes, do it quick', but no. Coffee will get cold and ugh," she shivered and stared at Solas. "It's you."

Solas sighed and snuck Karliah one more kiss. Sera made a retching sound when he did. He responded by flipping her the bird on his way out of the room. Sera closed the door behind him and turned to face the Inquisitor.

Karliah brushed her hand through her hair and looked at the blonde woman apologetically. "Didn't know he was going to visit."

The archer shrugged and returned to the desk. She poured a generous amount of liquor into both of their coffees. There may have been more liquor than coffee. About a sixty-forty split. Heck, Karliah deserved it after the day she had. "Oh don't give me that look, I've been trying to get you two to shag for like a week. You should thank me," she said.

Karliah laughed and accepted her coffee mug. "Thank you, Sera. You're a good friend," she looked at her bed and a blush came to her cheeks. "It was, incredible really. Different than what I was expecting. In a good way."

"Happy for you, truly," she said. She brought the mug close to her lips, figuring that the liquor had cooled down the fresh coffee. "Now, I'm going to drink to forgot that you said that."

The Inquisitor took a sip of her coffee and made a face. Oh it was very strong. "Don't you want to know if he's bald everywhere?"

"No," she made another face and downed her coffee in one gulp. "Now I'm picturing a hairless ballsack. Thanks a lot," she swatted at Karliah and hit her shoulder. Then she went to retrieve the whiskey from the desk. She took a swig from the bottle before refilling her coffee mug. Drink to forget that her best friend had slept with an old bald man and liked it. Perhaps she should have brought more whiskey.

**Author's Note: What, you guys didn't think I brought up her back story for no reason, right? Don't worry, they further the plot. They have reason for being there. One of those reasons also happens to be that I need to be meaner to Solas. Apparently. He's not allowed to have nice things.**

**Comments and feedback are always appreciated! I want to make the story the best that I can!**


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